11 Things You May Not Have Known About Hatco

In honor of Friday's date (11/11/11), I thought I'd write 11 facts about Hatco that you I personally find very interesting!

1.) Hatco's commitment to sustainability includes the Instant-on element featured in our Food Finishers which reduce energy consumption by eliminating the 15-30 minute warm-up time giving the option to be turned off when not in use.

2.) Hatco has very committed employees - one employee commutes 100 miles each day to work!

3.) Our Knock-Your-Socks-Off Customer Service team receives anywhere from 75-200 calls per day, and our Service Parts team receives about 58,000 calls per year!

4.) Hatco has been voted Best in Class 11 years in a row - this year our Conveyor Toasters and Heat Lamps were some of the category winners.

5.) Hatco has 365 employees between its corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, WI and the manufacturing facility in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Between those 365 employees, they've worked a combined total of 4,615 years! Talk about longevity!

6.) I, Billy Booster, am actually over 60 years old (gasp!) and have had a longstanding crush on the beautiful Tina Toaster - the appliance-of-my-eye.

7.) The beloved Hatco Training School has graduated over 1,200 people in its 10 years of operation.

8.) Hatco has nearly 50 independent Sales Rep Companies that are authorized to sell Hatco products in more than 20 different countries. These groups are critical to the growth of Hatco's business through their sales and promotions in domestic and global markets, distribution-channel development, as well as providing equipment training, technical expertise, and assistance with product demonstrations and installations. The longevity of these Sales Rep relationships have helped create the trust, stability, and knowledge that makes Hatco truly great!

9.) Introduced in the '80s, the same decade as rap music, VCRs, CDs, and cable, was the Flav-R-Fresh Display Warmer which is still being sold today.

10.) Hatco has over 100 product families to meet your needs - from water heating, food warming, food holding, toasting, cold wells, and heat wells...we have it.

11.) In the early days of Hatco, a $2,000 loan was needed (that was a lot back then!) and Mrs. Hatch listed her furs and jewelry in the security pledge as collateral which secured the loan. "It all worked out in the end, we kept the money and she kept her furs and jewelry," said Rod Chadoir, a Hatco Retiree.

Cheers,

Billy Booster

Fun Food Facts - Week on a Cruise Ship

I recently took a cruise of the Alaskan Inside Passage and was able to take an onboard tour. The following are the interesting facts the ship shared with me about their food service volume each week. Enjoy!

1,400 pounds of prime rib
7,000 pounds of chicken
280 Cornish game hens
420 pounds of lobster tail
2,800 steaks
2,100 pounds of shrimp
1,960 racks of lamb
600 pounds of veal
4,000 hot dogs
5,200 hamburgers
600 pounds of ham
910 pounds of salmon
230 pounds of Nova (smoked salmon)

And for breakfast lovers:

45,000 eggs
1,750 gallons of fruit juices
35,000 slices of bacon
560 pounds of link sausages
1,500 pounds of coffee
850 gallons of homogenized milk
3,200 bagels
2,100 pounds of butter
140 pounds of grits
7,000 individual boxes of breakfast cereal
16,000 slices of bread
10,500 Danish pastries
3,400 slices of French toast
3,700 pancakes

Cheers,

Billy Booster

"You're the Best!"

Do you feel appreciated? Have you ever felt over-appreciated? Fat chance - right! How about under-appreciated? Possibly every day...sure!

I recently attended a seminar on negotiating. The speaker said one of the keys to successful negotiation was making sure the "other side" felt that you appreciated them. According to the speaker, once people feel that you appreciate them, the negotiation process becomes less emotional and far more productive. In order to make your customer or supplier feel appreciated, you must do three things. First you must understand the other's point of view. Second you must find merit in what they think, feel or do. And, third, you must communicate your understanding. This may seem obvious, but it caused me to pause and think about how often I (we) successfully do these things in our negotiations.

How often do we really seek to understand the opponents position and express our understanding and that we see value in their position? One of the most interesting statistics quoted by our speaker was that 90% of divorces are driven by a lack of appreciation. In a recent study, research showed that in marriages where the statements of appreciated were less than or even equal to negative statements, the marriage would result in divorce. This same research showed that successful marriages consistently produced at least a five to one ratio of statements of appreciation over statements of criticism. Five to one - holy cow! I had to wonder if I've ever been a good enough husband to tell my loved one that I appreciate them five times as often as I offer little quips of "critique".

Now think about that in terms of our customer and supplier relationships. Are we telling our customers how much we appreciate them? Are we doing five times more often than when we have statements of conflict? How often do you tell your customers you truly appreciate them? Obviously, there is no down side to doing this early and often!!!

Armed with these thoughts about customer appreciation, I recently found myself showing the highest level of appreciation for our customers at the Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Dealer of The Year award dinner during the recent National Restaurant Show in Chicago. That night hundreds of us gathered to salute the industry leaders who have truly performed in ways above and beyond their competitors. I realized that we were showing that ever important appreciation to our very best and most deserved customers. They were all very gracious in receiving their awards. The speeches I heard that night were some of the best I've ever heard. Nobody took the state to brag about how good they were. Nobody stood before us and explained their unique strategy or how they worked harder than anyone else.

What every award winner did do - was show appreciation. They talked about how much they appreciated their team, their employees, their families, their wives and their customers. They were humble, appreciative and impressively thoughtful of all those around them. It really drove home the value of appreciation.

Herein, I would like to recognize all these wonderful people once again in my blog. These award winners tremendously deserved and I appreciate all of them deeply. They are as follows: Top Achievers of the Year: Top Achiever - Dealer: Howard Margulies, President, United Restaurant Equipment Company, Raleigh, NC Top Achiever - Consultant: Douglas Huber and Lawrence Huber, Foodservice Consultants Studio, Inc., Ashland, VA Top Achiever - Service Agent: Dan Farmer, Director of Business Development, Commercial Parts and Service, Inc., Columbus, OH Top Achiever - Rep: Danny Collis, President, The Collis Group, Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame Recipient: Tom Schrack Sr., President, Hockenbergs, Omaha, NE Dealer of the Year: Alan Keck and the Employee Owners of R.W. Smith, Los Angeles, California.

These are people who appreciate others and who are deserving of appreciation. I hope you share my appreciation of them too. Enjoy our weekend and remember to tell all those people in your life how much you appreciate them.

Cheers,

Billy Booster

NRA Recap

Hey, I just got back from the NRA. Hatco had a great show but I heard some exhibitors complaining about traffic being slower this year than last. Maybe all the customers were just tied up in the Hatco booth?

From our perspective, it was a good show. We were pleased with the quality of buyers that visited our booth as well as the quantity of International visitors. What did you think of the show? Send me your thoughts at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

As I mentioned above, at the Hatco booth we saw lots of key chain customers - and I do mean lots. I think this is a good sign for our industry. The number of dealers, distributors and consultants was down a little bit vs. last year. However, as we all just participated in the NAFEM show in February, maybe this isn't such a surprise.

We felt the International attendance was very strong, perhaps better than last year and just as good as NRA. We saw a lot of Europeans at the show, and many Latin American's as well. I heard as much Spanish and French being spoken in the aisles as English. It's good to know that International Foodservice people still find value in what we have to offer here in the USA. I also noted a far number of Asian visitors, but I think many of them are looking for things to sell or manufacture.

In terms of what's new - of course there was lots of new stuff in the Hatco booth: Decorative Carving Stations, Energy Saving Sandwich merchandisers with Spot On Technology, and Frost Top Cold Pans to name a few. There were also a few cool things seen on the show floor. I personally liked Cres Cor's new HotCube3 that works as a hot cabinet both indoors and outdoors - using propane and solar power. I also liked the new "Vision" under bar furniture from Supreme Metal. It looked like a cost effective way to upgrade bar functionality and decor all at the same time. Turbo Chef had an interesting new high speed oven with a fancy paint job - although the capacity was kind of small (quarter pan).

Finally, the best part of the NRA show is the chance to eat out in Chicago. There are so many great new restaurants. A couple I recommend include Alinea's owner and Chef Grant Achatz new concept - "NEXT" and Moto's Chef Homaru Cantu's new concept - "ING". These are both more affordable version of their award winning concepts where you can enjoy some truly great and creative food but without a second mortgage on your home. I also enjoyed two great meals this week - the first was at "Zealous" on West Superior. Chef Michael Taus developed a special menu for a group of friends who gathered in memory of our dear friend Michael Carpenter. I recommend the Thai bouillabaise of seared scallop as well as the braised short ribs. Saturday night I took some good friends from the UK and New Zealand to an old reliable "Joe's Stone Crab and Seafood". My international visitors were impressed with the great sauvignon blanc's from Napa as well as the amazing stone crab, as good as ever.

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the NRA show as much as all of us at Hatco. Drop us a line and tell us about your experiences at the show, what you noticed and any great new restaurants you'd recommend to the rest of us. As always, blessings from all of us at Hatco,

Cheers,

Billy Booster

NRA Memories

It's that time of year again - time for the National Restaurant Show in beautiful Chicago, Illinois. I hope you all plan to join me and the Hatco gang at booth #2408 at the McCormick Convention Center. We'll be there from Saturday until Tuesday of next week. This will be our 53rd NRA show in a row - wow! We have so many great memories from the show. Please send me yours at billyb@hatcocorp.com. Here are a few of mine:

In my younger years, NRA was a great chance to socialize with friends. We would make it a point to hunt down every night spot in the city with drinks and dancing late into the night. One year, we stayed out a little too late. Before we knew it, the sun was coming up and we still hadn't returned to the hotel. I made it to work that morning but it was a very long day. Late in the afternoon I thought I would die if I couldn't go back to the hotel and sleep soon. It was about that time that my boss invited me to attend an important dinner with a key customer. I was stuck. I drank lots of coffee and did my best to stay awake at dinner. I learned my lesson. I go to bed much earlier these days.

Another year, a good friend of mine followed the same path I described above. She didn't fare as well. She was reportedly tossing her cookies in the ladies room that morning. She did her best to hide it. Unfortunately she was wearing a flashy pair of red pumps. Little did she know that one of her coworkers (in the adjacent stall) spotted those red pumps and spilled the beans to the entire sales team at the show. Of course the poor lady was the butt of many jokes and jeers for the balance of the day and the show.

One of my best friends, Michael Whiteley, Hatco's VP of Sales and Marketing, had some truly great fortune at the NRA show about 20 years ago. While enjoying a drink at Kitty O'Shea's (a great Irish bar in the Hilton and Towers on South Michigan), he struck up a conversation with a woman. She hinted that it was her birthday and he should buy her a birthday drink. "What's your favorite drink" he asked? "Kir Royal" she replied. "Two Kir Royals!" Mike ordered of the bartender. The bar only served champagne by the bottle - so Mike ordered a whole bottle and served it up to his new lady friend. As the evening advanced they enjoyed drinks and dancing until the wee hours of the night. The night finished with a kiss and sparked a romance the ultimately led to marriage a few years later. Mike owe's his lovely wife and beautiful family to a spark that began at NRA.

It's no secret that there is lots of competition on the NRA floor. In year's past, Hatco used to make cook and hold ovens. One year, they were exhibiting close to another company that made cook and hold ovens. They watched the other company's chef load a massive turkey into the oven for an overnight cook and hold. The clever boys at Hatco decided to play the old "bait and switch" joke. They came in early the next morning and removed the big juicy turkey and put it into the Hatco oven. In turn, the placed a tiny cornish game hen into the competitor's oven. When the other guy's Chef came in a few minutes later, he had an anxious customer waiting. He escorted the customer over to the cook and hold to show him how nicely the big bird had cooked overnight. When he opened the door - to his surprise - there was nothing but a tiny bird remaining. The Chef immediately expected "fowl" play. He looked across the aisle to the Hatco boys. They were all smiles - as was their new customer - who was admiring the big turkey they had "cooked" overnight.

These are just a few of my favorite NRA memories. Please send me yours at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

See you in Chicago,

Billy Booster

Remembering Good Friends and Making New...

Hey friends, sorry I've been quiet recently. I lost two good friends recently and have been in too riddled with grief to send out a happy note. Having said that, I am back today and feeling better. Hatco had its first dealer school of the season last week and it lifted my spirits.

First - a few words about the passing of my two dear friends. (Then some happy news about our Hatco school last week.)

I lost two good friends on April 23rd, 2011. One was Harold Whiteley (father to our VP of Sales and Marketing - Michael Whiteley). Hal was a WWII vet who fought for our freedom in the South Pacific for four years during the battle with Japan. He was a hero in many ways. He leaves behind 7 kids, 13 grand kids and 16 great grandkids. He was active in his church and his community. More than 500 people came to respect him at his funeral and visitation. They buried him with military honors. He will be greatly missed by many.

The other dear friend was Michael Carpenter, former NAFEM President and Executive VP of Marketing for Copper Atkins. Mike and I were friends for many years. We traveled together, vacationed together and worked together. Mike was a mentor to me in business and in life. He always greeted me with a smile and left me with a laugh. He was one of the best friends I ever had. I will miss him greatly.

While I lost two friends this month, their memories live with me forever. And, as life always evolves, I was lucky enough to make many new friends this month as well. Last week Hatco hosted 42 Dealer Sales Reps at our inaugural training school of the 2011 season. I had forgotten how much fun these training schools can be. As in the past, we had people come from all over the globe - and many received prestigious awards at weeks end.

We had five students from France, six from Ontario Canada and six from Quebec Canada. The international visitors are often the most entertaining. It was fun watching the French Canadians teach the "true French" a new way of speaking French.

We had a lady who looked just like Drew Barrymore and another who reminded us of Farah Fawcett (only smarter). We felt very privileged to meet them both. They were as smart as they were pretty.

We of course crowned our class Valedictorian, Bo Segi, of Wasserstrom in Cincinnati, OH. We also crowned our class "anti-valedictorian", Willy Calluy, our European Sales Manager, who forgot a few things since his last visit to the States. Our "big stud" award went to Brent Montgomery of The Wallin Group - for his spiffy dressing throughout the week.

Of course the week wouldn't be complete without naming "The One" our most prestigious award. This month it went to David Perry of Hotel and Restaurant Supply for "missing the bus" on Friday morning. He said his alarm clock went off late - but we all know the real reasons....

Bill Carter was also a big hit. Bill was from Texas Metal. Bill impressed us with his karaoke singing on Thursday night. By Friday morning we had discovered Bill was a former lead singer of the 80's hair band - Screamer. Check out this link to see more of Bill's best years in the music business at http://www.metal-metropolis.com/screamer.htm

There were many other greats and near greats that I want to mention. There were all so nice and so much fun. It is meeting people like them that make me love our industry.

Have a great day and a better tomorrow.

Blessings,

Billy Booster

Royal Wedding Super Fan

Cheers to Catherine and William!

It was a pleasure viewing the nuptials - on the telly, of course.

Cherio!

Billy Booster

Watching the London Marathon on a Sunny Sunday

Greetings from London where it's surprisingly sunny and warm. I arrived here on Sunday hoping to sell some Hatco equipment. Upon arrival, I learned that I had arrived just in time for the London Marathon. While Marathon's normally don't interest me - this one was very interesting. What made this one different?

Normally I wouldn't find a marathon interesting. The only thing I enjoy less than running - is watching other people run. That said, when I arrived in London yesterday, I couldn't help but watch part of the London marathon - as it went right past my hotel on Tower Hill (very near the London's famous Tower Bridge). It was also on every channel on the TV in my hotel room.

There were 36,500 participants in the London Marathon. About 36,400 of the participants were amateur runners. The runners started out on the famous Canary Wharf area and the run along the Thames river, across Tower Bridge, past the London Eye, past Parliament and Big Bend, past Buckingham Palace - and onto the finish line. It's a race of more than 26 miles. Most runners need more than 4 hours to finish the race.

What I found interesting about the London Marathon was the number of runners that were running for a cause - for a charity. Many runners had outlandish costumes on in order to draw attention to their fund raising efforts. I saw a grown man dressed as a "fairy" who wanted to raise money for lung cancer. There were runners dressed as Elvis and Evil Kinevil. There was a man carrying a giant tiger on his back who was raising money to protect African wildlife habitat. There were superheros: Superman (who set the record for fastest Superhero in a marathon at 2:40mins), The Hulk, Batman and Catwoman. There was a man dressed as a banana and another running in a massive rag doll runner. There were women in bridal dresses and men in tuxedos. They were all running to support cause and or a chairty. The contrast of all these characters running past places like the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace made this a very unique experience.

I was also amazed by the hundreds of thousands of spectators that showed up to cheer on the runners - and cheer they did. They cheered for every single runner that went past their location. They were there cheering for hours and hours. I could hear them from my hotel room - even with the window's closed. It went on all day. The raw enthusiasm was amazing.

Who won the Marathon? The Men's race was won by a Kenyan named Emmanuel Mutai who ran the race in 2:04. A Kenyan woman, Mary Keitany, won the ladie's race in just under 2:20. An American woman, Amanda McGrory, won the ladie's wheelchair race - going 26 miles in her wheelchair in just over 1:45. A British man named David Weir won the men's wheelchair in 1:45.

So, while I always thought it was only entertaining to watch people run when they were being chased by a lion, I now know that a Marathon, at least the London Marathon, can be very interesting and equally enjoyable. Of course, a warm sunny day doesn't hurt either.

Cheers,

Billy Booster

Restaurant Industry on the Road to Recovery!

According to Nations Restaurant News, the restaurant industry has a long road to recovery. However, the good news is that we are traveling down that road to recovery. It may be a long road - but at least the trip has begun and we're making some good turns along the road. Today's article announced that sales have returned to 2005 levels. At first thought, that doesn't sound so good. However, when you consider how far we fell in 2008 and 2009 - a return to 2005 ain't all that bad.

NRN goes on to say that some good things are happening. Over 200,000 jobs were added back into the economy in March. While a 8.8% unemployment rate isn't great - it's much better than the +10% we saw not too long ago. NRN also states that we will see some nice growth from the fast casual chains this year - especially hot concepts like Panera, Five Guys, Smashburger and other higher end fast casual concepts. They also mentioned BWW and their ongoing growth. More casual dining groups like Darden's are investing heavily in remodeling their stores - rather than opening new units. These are all good things to hear for those of us who make and sell restaurant equipment.

The article also quoted NPD Group's Solocheck, who stated:

"In order to get customers back, restaurants should focus on developing new menu items and updating their locations, so that customers have different reasons to visit restaurants and to perceive getting a good value for the dollars they spend, Solochek said."

If you want to read more, check out the full article Click Here. Otherwise, have a great day and remember all your friends at Hatco!

Cheers,

Billy Booster

FEDA Conference: Excellent Educational Content!

The Hatco team just got back from the FEDA Conference in Phoenix. It was an excellent conference with a lot of great educational content. Of course all the networking with our beloved dealers was awesome too. It's always great spending time with Hatco's dealers - and learning more about how we can continue to strengthen our relationships and grow our mutual businesses.

I thought the educational content at this year's conference was really outstanding. I wish to commend the FEDA leadership group and Brad Pierce in particular for a great conference.

Attached are just a few of my own personal highlights from the conference.

Rich Kalgaard, Forbes - US Economy
Rich gave a moving presentation on the US Economy - where we are today and where we might be going. He also highlighted a number of key things company's need to stay focused on to ensure future success. Overall Rich's message was optimistic. It's nice to hear someone speaking positive about our economy. However, he did warn us to keep our eye's on the Middle East and Saudi Arabia in particular. He noted that a bloody revolution in Saudi could have global impact on energy and potentially halt our recovery.

Scott Stratten, Un-Marketing
Scott took us on a whirlwind tour of social networking and provided us all with a bunch of great ideas on how to improve our social networking strategy. My take away was that not many people in our industry offer a blog. I am glad Hatco does. Scott also suggested that you should only blog when you have something interesting to say - I hope you all agree that Billy Booster is pretty consistent with this rule. Scott also turned me on to two cool apps I've downloaded onto my iPhone. One is called "iReddit". The other is called "iDigg". Both sites are broad compilations of cool stuff posted by members on the sites. There are pictures, videos, news articles - what ever people find on the web that they think is really cool. Check it out.

Sam Richter, Sales Intelligence Secrets
Sam was amazing. He taught us how to do a google search. Now you might think you already know how to do a google search - as I did before this session began. However Sam opened my eyes to little tricks that you can use to vastly improve the quality of your searches. For example, by using quotation marks around a person's name - google will only identify sites that use both names in conjunction together. He also showed us how to use a "+" and or a "-" to pinpoint your search on exactly what you are interested in. For example, if you were searching for information about Ancient Viking Civilizations, you would search for "Viking - football" to avoid getting a bunch of hits on the Minnesota Viking football team. He also showed us how to use all of the search tools available on the google site. It was a very useful session. By the way, if you do a search on Sam Richter you will find his website which is full of links to useful tools - all of which are free.

Mike Workman
Mike Workman was back again this year to once again host a discussion on foodservice distribution, what's working and not working - and how we can move the industry forward. There was a healthy exchange of ideas between dealers and manufacturers. The group discussed how three step distribution, minimum resale price policies and straight volume rebate programs could help control pricing and improve profitability for all in the channel. Look to FEDA News and Views for more details and next steps in their future issues.

Dan Shipiro, Harvard - Negotiation Skills
Dan was an entertaining and engaging speaker. His stories of helping the NYPD and Foreign Dignitaries with high pressure negotiations was great. His stories were so interesting you wanted the session to go on forever. My take away from this session was that you must show the party you are negotiating with that you appreciate them, you are willing to look at things from their perspective, respect their autonomy, their role and their status. If you can put these things in place you have a much better chance of getting a positive outcome to your negotiations.

There it is in a nut shell - a few highlights from FEDA. I also have to put a plug in for a restaurant called Binkley's in Cave Creek. If you are ever in the Phoenix area - and you want to enjoy some truly great food - check out Binkley's - it was one of the best meals I've ever had. (Thanks to Bruce Bauer for the recommendation.)

Also, if you want to benefit from some of the great content that was delivered at the FEDA conference, you can order a copy of the presentation material from FEDA by contacting them directly at www.feda.com. The Hatco team purchased a copy and it was only $69.00.

Hope you all enjoyed hearing about FEDA - have a great day.

Cheers,

Billy Booster

Hatco Loves Our Dealer Community!

Do you love foodservice equipment dealers? All of us at Hatco love our dealers. Especially our FEDA dealers. That's why several of us are headed to the FEDA (Food Equipment Dealers Association) meeting in Phoenix this week. If you are going, let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Why do we love dealers so much? Dealers are the backbone of our industry. They provide tremendous value to our mutual end use customers. Without dealers, manufacturers wouldn't be able to effectively and efficiently deliver important products and services to operators in the foodservice industry. Dealers are a trusted partner to both manufacturers and end users. More importantly, they are the "Bridge" that helps goods cross over from manufacturer to operator.

At Hatco we understand the value that dealers provide to our industry. That's why we work so hard to provide the maximum support possible to the dealer community.

Let's look at a short list of things full service dealers do to help both manufacturers and operators.

1. Assured local supply - dealers stock a wide variety of product making sure operators can get what they need when they need it

2. Design and Specification - dealers will help operators specify the correct product to meet their unique needs and many will even design the kitchen for the operator

3. Education and Training - dealers educate users on how products operate and which equipment works best for them - they often provide training to end users and their staff

4. Installation and Start-Up - most dealers provide start up assistance, making sure equipment is delivered on time and installed properly - making sure things operate smoothly

5. Promotion and Marketing - dealers are a key vehicle for advertising and marketing support for manufacturers - many send out weekly flyers, have extensive websites and some even host their own trade shows

6. Information access - dealers are a wealth of industry knowledge and information - their websites offer all kinds of great product and technical information - their staff is well trained and can answer just about any question an operator may have

7. Service Support - dealers have customer service support teams that help answer questions and solve problems both before and after the sale - some even perform their own technical service and warranty repairs

8. Financial Assistance - many dealers provide credit or even leasing services to their clients - helping operators grow faster and more efficiently

9. Testing and Demonstrations - lots of dealers have extensive test kitchens where operators can test equipment, experiment with new menu items and have useful demonstrations performed

10. Industry Expertise - when you add up all the services described above - dealers are industry experts - they are a great resource for operators due to their broad and deep knowledge on equipment, supplies and foodservice operations across a wide range of market segments - they are a great asset to operators and manufacturers

There are many other ways that dealers provide value to the foodservice industry. That's why we love dealers at Hatco - and why we are looking forward to this weeks FEDA conference. We can't wait to learn from our dealer partners and see what trends they see emerging and how manufacturers can better support their efforts.

Look for more reports from FEDA later this week.

Best regards to you all!!!!

Billy Booster

Happy St. Patty's day!

Hope you all enjoy a fun and safe celebration today. If you live in Japan, it may not be such a happy day. Sorry to rain on everyone's parade - but things over there deserve our thoughts, concerns and prayers. The economic impact of the disaster in Japan will have long lasting effects on the US economy.

Earlier today I read reports from CNN, The New York Times as well as Forbes. It's incredible how far reaching Japan's economy is on Global business. Many of the auto industry plants have been shut down (including US brands). Many Japanese suppliers to the US auto industry have shut down. It's estimated that 40,000 fewer vehicles will be built in Japan this year.

The rebuilding effort may cost Japan more than $200 billion. This will impact the value of the Japanese Yen - and US Treasury Bonds. This has already caused our own stock market to fall back to the levels we saw at the start of 2011.

Many of Japan's primary shipping docks and ports have been shut down. This will have a tremendous negative effect on assured supply into and out of Japan for months to come. Currently this is preventing fresh fruits and vegetables from getting into Japan - and citizens are hoarding goods from store shelves as it is.

Tokyo is a city of 13 million people. If the nuclear meltdown becomes a reality, millions of people may feel Tokyo - devastating the Nations key economic center. This will impact all financial and industrial markets.

Nuclear fallout could make drinking water and dairy unsafe. Some experts think nuclear fallout could reach the US's West coast in small doses - but enough to make milk products from the West Coast unsafe.

The list of industry and markets impacted goes on and on. As the World works to crawl out of a global economic recession - this is not good news nor good timing.

To make matters even worse, you have over 5300 Japanese citizens who've already died in this terrible tragedy and experts saying the body count will reach 10,000. This would make Japan's earthquake more than twice as deadly as the attacks on the US on 911.

So - as you go out to celebrate St. Patty's day today - count your blessings and say a prayer for all those who are suffering in Japan. It may seem like a long ways from where you live - but we are all inter-connected more than we realize. Remember, you can always support the recovery efforts by making donations to the Red Cross.

If you know of any other relief efforts going on to help those who live in Japan, please send us an email at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Blessings,

Billy Booster.

"Top Ten"

I just found out Five Guys was the fastest growing chain in the United States last year. Can you believe it? I don't know why they call themselves "Five Guys" as every time I've been there more than 6 guys are working in the kitchen? If you want to know who else is on America's top 10 fastest growing chain list - check out the list below - and then read my comments on who I think are contenders vs. pretenders.

In all, the top 10 fastest-growing chains increased sales 18 percent to $7.8 billion.

Click here to read more

For Billy Booster's two cents....I think Five Guys is a contender for the long run. Everyone just loves their burgers. I personally don't dig the giant bag of fries they serve with it, but I know a lot of people do like that.

Jimmy John's is also a true contender. What's not to love about "Subs so fast you'll freak".!!!

Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings, Panda and Noodles and Co. are all high on my list of contenders as well. Good foods, fun atmosphere, clean and well-run restaurants. I like them all. I also think the ethnic niche that Chipotle and Panda are leveraging are really good prospects for the next several years. American's just like the variety and the opportunity to enjoy cuisine from other parts of the world.

I have never been to a BJ's or Firehouse Subs so I won't comment on them - other than to say the name "BJ" is kind of risky (with the potential for mis-interpretation if you know what I mean).

I think Yardhouse might be a pretender. Not sure how original tall glasses of beer are, but stranger things have happened. I must admit I do like a tall cold glass of beer - but a yard?

In general, these are all great concepts and if you haven't tried them all - go out and try one tonight. I know I plan to. Cheers!!!

Have a great day.

Billy Booster.

"WIN-WIN"

I recently attended a buying group meeting with a bunch of Hatco's dealers. It was an incredibly productive and insightful meeting. On the surface, dealers and manufacturers are opposing forces. The dealers want manufacturers to pay them more money to sell their goods, and manufacturers want dealers to provide more sales and service for less compensation. Naturally, there is a lot of struggle that goes on between these two forces. However, at the end of the day, both sides find compromise and common ground. We realize that we both need each other to survive. We reach productive agreements and then we work hard, very hard, to support each other and our customers. At the end of the day, we all run profitable businesses and provide the food service industry with ever improving goods and services. Win - Win.

To the contrary, over the last month I've watched our Wisconsin politicians make a mockery of our state capital over a budget debate. Not unlike my experience with dealers and manufacturers in private industry, each side of the budget debate is struggling to get the other side to pay more for the things that they want. However, unlike my experience in private industry, the politicians are not capable of working together for their collective common good. Our State is broke. We need to find ways to pay down debt and return to profitability. If our state government was a private company, it would long since have been swallowed up by a competitor or liquidated all together. Yet, under such dire circumstances, our politicians focus on preventing each other from getting their work done and from making any progress what so ever. They are more inclined to spend their efforts trying to recall one another (democrats and republicans alike) then they are in sitting down and finding ways to help the state save money.

Please understand this is not a political statement. I am defending neither Republican nor Democrat. I am simply reflecting on the fact that opposing forces in private business find ways to move forward together each and every day. They can do this for one simple reason. If they don't work together, they won't survive. In contrast to this, political forces waste millions of tax payer’s dollars arguing and bickering and fighting without ever accomplishing anything. How is this tolerated? Simple - their survival doesn't depend on success.

What's the solution? Is there a solution? I believe there are solutions and likely there are many. Our culture needs to change to one that seeks mutual benefit and common good rather than victory of one agenda over the other. The political system is broken and needs to be reconstructed, but someone much smarter than I. Tell your local politicians how you feel and that working on solving problems, rather than seeking to destroy one another, is where you expect your tax dollars to be spent. Ask them to question their behavior and if similar actions would stand up in private business. If their actions don't measure up to this benchmark, than they likely aren't productive. Business manages to make money each year and survive profitably. Why can't government?

Hope this commentary offends no one but stimulates food for thought over your enjoyable and relaxing weekends.

Cheers!

Billy Booster.

Fusion Cuisine

Spent last week in Vegas. They have some really cool restaurants out there. I think Vegas may have some of the best restaurants in the Country. A bad case of the flu prevented me from seeing all the new concepts I wanted to explore. However, I did visit a few and enjoyed some very interesting food. What's crazy about Vegas (and restaurants everywhere these days), is the amazing mixes of cuisine that operators are inventing. The idea of "fusion" has expanded dramatically. Fusion was listed as one of the top 10 food trends in America in the last decade by Restaurant and Institutions. They defined it as follows:

10. Fusion Cuisine
Fusion cuisine combines the cuisine of a region or sub-region into one eating experience. Asian fusion restaurants became popular in the U.S. and feature Indian, East Asian, and South-East Asian dishes alongside one another.

However, based on what I saw in Vegas last week, I think Fusion has exploded to mean much more than just "Asian Fusion". Here are some of the fun combinations I saw or heard about in Vegas:

Type of Fusion - Name of Restaurant
Chinese / Mexican - China Poblano
Japanese / French - Japonaise
Chinese / Japanese - Grand Wok and Sushi Bar
Brazilian / Japanese - Sushi Samba
Mediterranean - Firefly Tapas Kitchen
French / Steakhouse - Morel's French Steakhouse

As you can see there is no limit to what two cultures or styles of cuisine can be fused together. I think the Mediterranean "Tapas" restaurant - Firefly - portrayed it best. They describe themselves as "Mediterranean" - but we had dishes that mixed European and Latin American - like chorrizo stuffed mussels. It was as if anything was possible. It stretched the imagination and entertained your taste buds all at the same time.

The point of the story is that cuisine has no boundries. It's open to interpretation, experimentation and collaboration. The more you experiment the more fun you can have. I think today's consumers are searching for more variety and more new experiences. As a result, expect to see a lot more fusion on menus in the days, weeks and years ahead.

If you've seen some crazy new combination or cool fusion concept, please write me about it. Drop me an email at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Have a great week.

Billy Booster.

Ah Pizza!

Vegas Baby! Yeah!
The Hatco team is in Vegas this week for the Pizza Show and the Catersource Show. If you are in Vegas come check us out at the Hatco Booth.

Tomorrow I'll talk about the Catersource Show. Today, let's talk Pizza.

Do you have any idea how much pizza is served in the US each day? It's a ridiculously large number. Why do American's love Pizza so much? Pizza may have originated in Italy but American's made it globally popular. Where would the US be today without Pizza Hut, Domino's or Papa John's!!!

Maybe we love Pizza so much because it works great for feeding a party - just a few pies can feed an army. Or, maybe we love Pizza so much because it's such a flexible food. Pick your meat, your vegetable, your cheese, your sauce, and your crust. There must be a million different combinations possible.

What ingredients do you like on your pizza: Pepperoni, Sausage, Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Olives or something else? Maybe you are an "extra cheese" kind of person. Do you like your crust thin or thick? Do you like your cheese golden brown or black and crispy? According to our sources at Hatco, these are the most popular toppings on Pizza: Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions, Green Peppers, Extra Cheese. "The Supreme"

My favorite toppings are Canadian bacon, pineapple, black olive - or a nice Capresse with Buffalo Mozzarella, Heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. In college we used to order a shrimp pizza from a little bar down the street from our apartment. It was covered with fresh tiger prawn and extra mozzarella. We ordered this at least once a week. In Europe I love the thin crust single serving pizzas with their classic ingredients like parma ham, andouillete sausage, kalamata olives, fresh tuna, roma tomatoes, truffles and even an egg! Back at home, it's hard to beat a good old fashion Chicago style deep dish pizza - more like casserole than pizza - 3" deep in dripping mozzarella - and oh so good!

So we are all excited to see what's on tap at this year's pizza show. Is there yet another new innovation in the world of pizza? Is there some crazy new way to cook it, display it, and serve it? Check back later in the week and we'll let you know.

What's your favorite pizza, topping or pizza place? Drop us a note here at Hatco and let us know. Email me at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Have a great day,

Cheers

Billy Booster

Funny Quotes from Politicians

Happy Monday. Hope you had a nice weekend. Billy has been doing his thing promoting peace. If you want to ignore all this political stuff and enjoy some Monday humor - keep reading.

How about some stupid funny quotes from Politicians...

"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been" President Gerald Ford

" My fellow Astronauts...." Dan Quayle

"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life." Orin Hatcher, Senator from Utah, explaining his support for the death penalty

"China is a big country, occupied by a lot of Chinese people." French President, Charles de Gaulle

" I stand by all the misstatements" Dan Quayle

"Gerald Ford is a communist" Ronald Reagan (later claims he meant to say "Congressman")

"Outside of the killings, Washington D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country" Mayor Marion Barry, Washington D.C.

"This is a great day for France" President Richard Nixon while attending the funeral of French President, Charles de Gaulle.

"This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected." California Governor Pat Brown

"Facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan - misquoting John Adams in a speech to the Republican convention

Have a great day,

Billy Booster

Recovery on the Horizon

The Restaurant Industry continues on the road to recovery. If you haven't seen the National Restaurant Association's Washington Report for January 2011, below is an interesting summary of what it says:

Restaurant industry sales are expected to top $600 Billion for the first time ever, according to the National Restaurant Association Industry Forecast. Overall sales are expected to reach $604 billion, up 3.6% from 2010. Fullservice sales are projected at $194 billion in 2011, up 3.1% from 2010. Quickservice sales are expected to reach 167.8 billion, up 3.3% from 2010 - the strongest gain for the segment since 2008.

The forecast, the NRA’s annual barometer of the industry's economic strength, anticipates real growth for the first time in four years. That means restaurant industry sales - adjusted for inflation - are expected to grow 1.1% in 2011. The increase follows three straight years of real sales declines.

Regionally, the South Atlantic and West South Central are expected to experience the greatest growth this year. Restaurant sales in the South Atlantic are projected at $93.9 billion, up 3.9% from 2010. West South Central sales are expected to increase 3.7%.

Separately, the NRA has launched an "America Works Here" awareness campaign. The goal of the campaign is to educate lawmakers and their staffers, regulators and opinion leaders about the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry currently employs 13 million people in the United States and will add 2 million more jobs in the next ten years. The industry contributes 1.5 trillion to the nation's economy each year.

So, there you have it. The industry is big, it's growing, it's creating jobs. Now go out there and enjoy a meal at your favorite restaurant today!

Cheers,

Billy Booster

"Far Out..."

Have you ever told a story one million times? A friend of mine did this last week. He had hurt his foot just before the NAFEM show. I heard a million people ask him how he did it. Each time I heard him tell a new story. They were all very funny! I still don't know which story was true. If you want to hear all his "far out" stories, check out the list below.

“How I hurt my foot..."

1) I was in Rome when someone asked me if I was a Christian. When I said "yes", they suddenly threw me to a cast of lions...

2) If you ever read a sign that says don't feed the elephants - I suggest you heed their warning...

3) I was skiing in the Alps. A friend of mind suggested I try the long jump. I nearly set a World record. If it wasn't for that damn pine tree...

4) If you ever go alligator hunting, make sure you stay in the boat!

5) I've been up and down the trade show floor kicking the crap out of the competition!

6) I got" turf toe" filling in for Donald Driver during last week's Super Bowl...

7) I knew I should have told my wife she looked pretty in that dress...

8) Did you ever play mumbly peg when you were a kid? There is a reason why you stopped playing it before you became an adult. I forgot the reason...

9) I shot myself in the foot - in more ways than one!

10) I tried out for dancing with the stars - but I forgot to make sure my partner wasn't bigger than I was.

There you have it - who knows which story was the truth - probably none of them.

Hope you have a great day!!!

Cheers,

Billy Booster

NAFEM was Great!

I just got back from The 2011 NAFEM Show in Orlando. This is by far the biggest and the best Food Service Equipment Show in the World. All of us at HATCO really enjoyed the show.

This year's show featured over 300,000 sq ft of exhibits with more than 550 companies exhibiting more than 850 different products. Approximately 20,000 operators, dealers, consultants, sales reps, service agents, and exhibitors attended the show. Operator attendance was up approximately 29% compared to our last show in 2009. More than 1,200 people attended the Global Networking Event on Wednesday night. I heard people speaking French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese - to mention just a few. Everyone had a great time.

On Thursday night I attended Hatco's amazing 60's theme party at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studio's City Walk. 1,800 of my closest friends showed up to join me for great food, drink and music. The band, Energy, played for three hours without a break, and so many customers showed up in great costumes that it was really like being back in the 60's. It was a ton of fun. You may want to check out the pictures on Hatco's facebook page later this week.

Friday night many of us attended the All Industry Celebration at the Peabody Hotel. There were over 1,400 people there to see all the 2011 Doctorate of Food Service Recipients as well as President's Award Winner, Peter Nordell and the William Carpenter award winner, John Nackley. I also got to meet Huey Lewis and the News. We sang a short duet together. I thought we sounded great. Huey was a really nice man and his band put on a great concert for all of us. The dancing and singing went on for hours. Id recommend their show to anyone.

On the show floor, I was amazed to see so many new products. The What's Hot What's Cool new product pavilion had over 110 new innovative products on exhibit. NAFEM companies are truly working hard to introduce new technology into our industry. There were some really great new products to see.

Overall, this NAFEM was the best NAFEM ever. I can't wait to see what is in store for us at The 2013 NAFEM Show - which will also be held in Orlando, Feb. 7-9, 2013. I hope to see you all there

Finally, I must extend my sincerest congratulations to everyone on the NAFEM staff - and of course NAFEM President, Steve Follett and NAFEM Executive Director, Deirdre Flynn. They did an absolutely amazing job putting on the best show I've experienced in my 60 year tenure as Billy Booster of The Hatco Corporation!!!

I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

Cheers
Billy Booster

Training as a Key Strategy

At Hatco we believe training is one of our key strategies. We host six lengthy factory training schools at our Sturgeon Bay facility each year. We also spend a lot of time attending trade shows. Did you ever think of a trade show as an opportunity to do training? We do. Last week we attended The NAFEM Show in Orlando, Florida. We did a ton of training at the show. Let us give you a blue print of how to leverage training opportunities at trade shows.

1) Sales Meetings/Rep Training - One of the best opportunities to train your outside sales force is to host a sales meeting at a trade show. Many of your reps may be attending the show, so why not invite them to a training session the day before the show or even early morning before the show gets started? You are there…they are there…you have your equipment there…so schedule a sales meeting and have your factory staff educate your key sales reps on new products or key features of existing products.

2) Press Conference - Media people always want to know what's new in your business. They are looking for editorial content to put into their magazine. If you just invite them to a press conference at your booth or in a meeting room at the convention center, you can train the entire industry on your new products. It's easy to organize and very cost effective. Many convention centers will allow you to use one of their meeting rooms for free, if you are an exhibitor in their trade show. The press conference doesn't need to be complicated. You can even host it in your booth. In less than a half an hour, you can highlight key new products, get a lot of free publicity, and educate a large audience on the key elements of your product line.

3) Dealer / Distributor Training - This is probably the most important element of training. Many of us depend upon our distribution partners, but how often to we invite them to our booth for some free training? At The NAFEM Show they offered special training hours from 8AM until 10AM, before the official show opening. We leveraged this time to schedule training with our most important dealers. We focused on our new products, and we had product managers stationed at each new product so the dealers could tour the booth as if they were visiting a museum. It worked very well, and we trained over 200 dealers in just 4 hours.

4) Operator (or Allied Association) Training - Most trade shows offer educational content to the general public. Often these educational sessions are free to the show attendees. Many show organizers are searching for educational content to offer to their attendees. Consider offering to host one of these sessions on behalf of the organizer or an allied association. Last week Hatco hosted an educational luncheon for the FEDA association. We had over 400 Dealer Sales Reps in the room. We got a big bang for our buck in a short amount of time. However, remember to provide valuable content that relates to the general business, and not just to your products. It's OK to talk about your own products, but make sure to provide some overall value to the audience as well.

These are just a few good ways to leverage training opportunities at trade shows. We'd love to hear more about your ideas and experiences. Feel free to write us at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Cheers - and have a great day,

Billy

NAFEM was Great!

I just got back from The 2011 NAFEM Show in Orlando. This is by far the biggest and the best Food Service Equipment Show in the World. All of us at HATCO really enjoyed the show.

This year's show featured over 300,000 sq ft of exhibits with more than 550 companies exhibiting more than 850 different products. Approximately 20,000 operators, dealers, consultants, sales reps, service agents, and exhibitors attended the show. Operator attendance was up approximately 29% compared to our last show in 2009. More than 1,200 people attended the Global Networking Event on Wednesday night. I heard people speaking French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese - to mention just a few. Everyone had a great time.

On Thursday night I attended Hatco's amazing 60's theme party at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studio's City Walk. 1,800 of my closest friends showed up to join me for great food, drink and music. The band, Energy, played for three hours without a break, and so many customers showed up in great costumes that it was really like being back in the 60's. It was a ton of fun. You may want to check out the pictures on Hatco's facebook page later this week.

Friday night many of us attended the All Industry Celebration at the Peabody Hotel. There were over 1,400 people there to see all the 2011 Doctorate of Food Service Recipients as well as President's Award Winner, Peter Nordell and the William Carpenter award winner, John Nackley. I also got to meet Huey Lewis and the News. We sang a short duet together. I thought we sounded great. Huey was a really nice man and his band put on a great concert for all of us. The dancing and singing went on for hours. Id recommend their show to anyone.

On the show floor, I was amazed to see so many new products. The What's Hot What's Cool new product pavilion had over 110 new innovative products on exhibit. NAFEM companies are truly working hard to introduce new technology into our industry. There were some really great new products to see.

Overall, this NAFEM was the best NAFEM ever. I can't wait to see what is in store for us at The 2013 NAFEM Show - which will also be held in Orlando, Feb. 7-9, 2013. I hope to see you all there

Finally, I must extend my sincerest congratulations to everyone on the NAFEM staff - and of course NAFEM President, Steve Follett and NAFEM Executive Director, Deirdre Flynn. They did an absolutely amazing job putting on the best show I've experienced in my 60 year tenure as Billy Booster of The Hatco Corporation!!!

I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

Cheers
Billy Booster

King Fu Tea

On my last trip to China I enjoyed some Kung Fu tea. I blogged about it the following day. Strangely - nearly one year later - some Chinese guy read my old blog and sent me a complete description of Kung Fu tea - correcting what I wrote last year. It's both interesting and entertaining - check it out below...

Kung Fu tea isn't a name of tea leaves or tea, but a brewing technique. I learned the simple brewing method of Kung Fu tea from www.newpastoral.com site and now I would like to share it with everyone:

1. Heat up pot: Pour boiling water into the pot till overflow.

2. Heat up cups: Pour boiling water into your cups.*

(*NOTE: Please excuse the interpretation but I am trying to follow this-Fill pot and cups with hot water till overflowing? Discard the water. Seems to be VIP to keep the tea pot hot).

3. Place Tea: This is a very luxurious way, put the funnel on the spout of a tea pot, and then dial it into the pot with a teaspoon.

4. Pour water: Pour boiling water into the pot till the spume overflow. For the first time into the boiling water, immediately dump the tea out of pot, remove the impurities, this step is called "wash tea. " Do not drink the tea waste dump.*

(*Pour hot water over leaves till overflowing. Discard water-"washing" the leaves to remove dust...now I AM lost...Good Luck).

5.Scrape tea dust: After wash the tea, to lift high the pot, fill the pot, but not to spill the tea, Then flat scrape spout with the lid, making tea loose foam falling.

6. Watering pot: Close the lid and then poured boiling water over the pot, you can flush the remaining tea foam, can keep the pot hot, let the pot filling of tea aroma.

7. Share the tea: The first lift tea pots retrograde circular along the side of tea boat intended to scrape water on droplets, notice the direction, right hand lift pot counter-clockwise do when welcome drink tea, when you see a visitor out to the clockwise direction, if left hand lift pot, then vice versa?Then use tea pot take turns to a few cups pour the tea at the same time..

8. Drip into the cup: When the end will be poured, drops the rest of the tea into the cups respectively, notice that you can not to filling the cup of tea, to seven points is well

Finally, please taste, smell the aroma of tea first,and watch the colour of tea,taste the flavor of tea,fully reflects the great harmony of Chinese tea ceremony spirit between tea and human, guests and master.

Enjoy!

Billy Booster

Whadda Super Bowl!

WOW? OK, I can breath now, as I almost blew a gasket! Hope you had a blast watching the game yesterday...(I know I am paying for it today!)

We are just so proud of the Green Bay Packers. Send me your thoughts on the game, the sexy halftime show or whatever (email me at billyb@hatcocorp.com).

I'm not saying this made the difference, but here's the "pre-world champ green and gold" and myself talking strategies on Sunday morning!

This morning I am on my way outta here to NAFEM....See you there!!

Billy Booster

Super Bowl...It's All In the Numbers?!

Are you ready for some football? Sunday is nearly here. Super Bowl XLV will be awesome! Packers vs. Steelers, two of the most storied franchises in NFL History. Who do you think will win? Send me your prediction (email me at billyb@hatcocorp.com).

Want to know all the reasons why the Packers will win on Sunday? Check out some of the cool history and stats outlined below. GO PACKERS!!!!

A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
When the Packers and Steelers take the field for Super
Bowl XLV, it will be the first time that two of the most
storied franchises in NFL history have met in the playoffs.

By advancing to this year’s Super Bowl, Green Bay and
Pittsburgh now have a combined 13 Super Bowl appearances
between them, five for the Packers and eight for
the Steelers (tied with Dallas for the most in the NFL).

The Packers and Steelers have won 18 world championships between
them. Green Bay has 12 titles, more than any other team in NFL history and
Pittsburgh’s has six world championships, the most by any team in
the AFC.

Pittsburgh’s six Super Bowl titles are the most of any NFL team, with the
Packers’ three Super Bowl championships tied for No. 4 in the league.

The Packers’ NFC Championship win at Chicago on Jan. 23 was their
28th victory in the postseason (third most in NFL history). Green Bay now
trails only Pittsburgh and Dallas (33 each) for the most playoff wins.

At 28-16 (.636), Green Bay owns the league’s best all-time postseason
winning percentage. Checking in right behind the Packers is Pittsburgh,
who has a 33-19 mark (.635) in the playoffs.

Since the advent of free agency in 1993, Green Bay owns the third-best,
regular-season winning percentage in the league (.622) with Pittsburgh
checking in at No. 2 (.630) behind only New England (.642).

Team Opponent Passer Rating
1. Green Bay 67.2
2. Pittsburgh 73.1
3. Chicago 74.4
Team Passing TDs Allowed
1. New Orleans 13
2. Chicago 14
3. Pittsburgh 15
4. Green Bay 16
Team Rushing TDs Allowed
1t. Baltimore 5
1t. Pittsburgh 5
3. Green Bay 6
Team Interceptions
1. New England 25
2. Green Bay 24
3. Philadelphia 23
Team Sacks
1. Pittsburgh 48
2t. Green Bay 47
2t. Oakland 47
2t. San Diego 47

Here is a look at some of Green Bay’s defensive numbers in the regular
season since Capers took over as coordinator in 2009:

Team Rushing TDs Allowed
1. Green Bay 11
2. Pittsburgh 12
3. Baltimore 13
Team Opponent Passer Rating
1. Green Bay 68.0
2. N.Y. Jets 68.2
3. New Orleans 74.3
Team Interceptions
1. Green Bay 54
2. Philadelphia 48
3. New England 43
Team Sacks
1. Pittsburgh 95
2t. Green Bay 84
2t. Oakland 84

A look at where Rodgers ranks among NFL quarterbacks since he took
over as the starter in 2008:
Player Passing Yards
1. Drew Brees, NO 14,077
2. Peyton Manning, IND 13,202
3. Philip Rivers, SD 12,973
4. Aaron Rodgers, GB 12,394
Player Passing TDs
1. Drew Brees, NO 101
2. Peyton Manning, IND 93
3. Philip Rivers, SD 92
4. Aaron Rodgers, GB 86
Player Passer Rating
1. Philip Rivers, SD 103.8
2. Tom Brady, NE 102.9
3. Aaron Rodgers, GB 99.4
Player Yards/Attempt
1. Philip Rivers, SD 8.62
2. Aaron Rodgers, GB 7.99
3. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT 7.94
Player 25-yard passes
1. Aaron Rodgers, GB 110
2. Drew Brees, NO 104
3. Philip Rivers, SD 103

Have a great day.

Go Packers!!!
Billy Booster

Tailgate Party!

It's time for the greatest Super Bowl party of all time. The Packers and the Steelers - two epic franchises - this one's going to be truly Super. So - the food and the party need to be equally epic - equally Super.

So what are you planning for your Super Bowl Party? Here at Hatco, we've been noodling on this topic for a few days. We are having our own Super Bowl tailgate here at the office tomorrow. It will be very traditional Wisconsin tailgate. Everyone's bringing a dish to pass. We will shovel a path out to the grill and cook some brats and burgers. (That will be harder than usual due to the 20" of snow we got yesterday ...) Someone might sneak a few beers in. Don't expect a high level of productivity in the afternoon. I can't wait. It's going to be fun.

But the big question is - what to do at home on Sunday? What are you going to serve at your Super Bowl party - will it be truly Super?
Here are a few ideas:

Pot Luck: have every guest bring a dish to pass - but it must be decorated with some sort of football, Green Bay or Pittsburgh theme

Foods from each Team's home town: Brats, Cheese Curds, and Beer for the Packers. Rothlis-burgers from Pittsburg.

Texas Size everything: make dishes that are native to Texas "Tex-Mex" or even dishes that are the size of Texas or shaped like Texas. How about an appetizer tray that looks like Texas Stadium?

Go Healthy: surprise everyone with healthy foods - nobody will expect that. It might not be super delicious - but it will be super good for you. Who doesn't enjoy munching on celery and carrot sticks during the Super Bowl?

Chili: It's easy, it's filling, it's delicious - and you can make tons of it for little cost - and it only gets better as the game goes on!

Make everything in the shape of a football: Some Pizza chains will deliver football shaped pizzas. I've seen stores selling summer sausage and cheese trays shaped like a football. You can make a football shaped cake or even a football shaped cheese ball. They now have football shaped crackers and you can certainly carve up some fruit into little footballs. Just don't let the kids play catch with them.

These are just a few of our ideas here at Hatco. We'd love to hear what you're serving on Super Bowl Sunday. Send me an email with your menu or some of your unique ideas at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

No matter what you serve for the Super Bowl remember, It's all about the commercials. So if your favorite team isn't winning, just grab a drink and enjoy the commercials.

Have a great day.

Go Packers!!!
Billy Booster

Ready for Snow?

Are you ready for the snow? I am. Here in Wisconsin (as well as 1/3 of the US) we are preparing for a massive blizzard. Do you have all you need to survive?

What to Always Keep in Your Pantry These items have lengthy expiration dates, so you can stash them away for long periods of time. Make a list of everything in your stockpile and check expiration dates every 6 to 12 months to keep things fresh. And don't forget to have a can opener on hand at all times - all that food won't be of any use if you can't open it. Ready

• Peanut butter - A great source of energy, peanut butter is full of healthful fats and protein. Unless the jar indicates otherwise, you don't have to refrigerate after opening.

• Whole Wheat crackers - Crackers are a good replacement for bread and make a fine substitute when making sandwiches. Due to their higher fat content, whole wheat or whole grain crackers have a shorter shelf life than their plain counterparts (check the box for expiration dates), but the extra fiber pays off when you're particularly hungry. Consider vacuum-packing your crackers to prolong their freshness.

• Nuts and trail mixes - Stock up on these high energy foods, they're healthful and convenient for snacking. Look for vacuum-packed containers, which prevent the nuts from oxidizing and losing their freshness.

• Cereal - Choose multigrain cereals that are individually packaged so they don't become stale after opening.

• Granola bars and power bars - Healthy and filling, these portable snacks usually stay fresh for at least six months. Plus, they're an excellent source of carbohydrates. You can get more energy from carbohydrates without [eating] tons of food.

• Dried fruits, such as apricots and raisins - In the absence of fresh fruit, these healthy snacks offer potassium and dietary fiber. Dried fruits provide you with a significant amount of nutrients and calories.

• Canned tuna, salmon, chicken, or turkey - Generally lasting at least two years in the pantry, canned meats provide essential protein. Vacuum-packed pouches have a shorter shelf life but will last at least six months.

• Canned vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, and peas - When the real deal isn't an option, canned varieties can provide you with essential nutrients.

• Canned soups and chili - Soups and chili can be eaten straight out of the can and provide a variety of nutrients. Look for low sodium options.

• Bottled water - Try to stock at least a three day supply. You need at least one gallon per person per day. A normally active person should drink at least a half gallon of water each day. The other half gallon is for adding to food and washing.

• Sports drinks, such as Gatorade or Powerade - The electrolytes and carbohydrates in these drinks will help you rehydrate and replenish fluid when water is scarce.

• Tequila - just in case it really is bad - you might want a couple of swigs- it will keep you warm a little longer - and it will help dull the cold ...

Have a wonderful snowy day.

Cheers,
Billy Booster

Summer Dreaming ...

Is it snowing by you? It is here at Hatco - for the 22nd day out of the last 26 days. Are you ready for summer? I am. To help me forget winter, I decided to blog about summer food, drink and fun today. Here are the top ten things I am looking forward to this summer:

1) Laying by the pool catching rays, and letting my "tank" brown like a rotisserie chicken
2) Building sand castles on the beach with the smell of fresh cut grass in the air
3) Going for a walk in the park at 8PM at night and watching the sun slowly creep across the horizon over the next hour
4) Grilling homemade hamburgers in the backyard and eating those juicy works of art on a picnic table under the shade of a big oak tree
5) Frying up some fresh caught trout and morel mushrooms after a day of fishing in the local stream
6) Going to a baseball game on a Saturday night when the only way to stay cool is to drink ice cold beer and munch on crackerjacks
7) Catching lightening bugs (fire flies)
8) Watching fireworks that seem to be right on top of your head and that go on for hours
9) Sitting on the porch in a rocking chair watching the corn grow with a margarita by my side and some good music in the background
10) Playing ball in the backyard with the kids until dark and then counting falling stars until bedtime

Well - did it work - did it get you in the mood for summer? I hope so. So the next time you've got cabin fever - just come back to Billy's Blog and read this list - and know that soon summer will be here again.

Have a great day,
Billy Booster

NAFEM Schedule

Wow - I am super busy getting ready for the NAFEM Show! Are you going? If so, email me at billyb@hatcocorp.com. I am going! Come see me at booth #1612. The show will be the biggest and best NAFEM Show ever and the best place to see what's new in the world of foodservice equipment and supplies. It's held Feb. 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. I hope to see you there.

Here's a schedule of the key events at the show:

2011 Show Schedule
All events/functions take place at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), North/South Building, unless noted otherwise.

Wednesday, February 9

8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ServSafe® Food Safety Training Program
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. NAFEM Equipment & Supplies Overview Seminar
8:00 a.m. – Noon Exhibitor Registration Open
Noon – 5:00 p.m. Attendee Registration Open
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. NAFEM Annual Business Meeting
7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Global Networking Event (GNE) Hilton Orlando Ballroom, Hilton Orlando

Thursday, February 10

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open
8:00 – 10:30 a.m. Certified Foodservice Professional (CFSP) Exam
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ServSafe® Food Safety Training Program
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CFSP Business Center Open
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Show Floor Open
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Education
Spotlight Session: Innovative Thinking
Peter Sheahan, Speaker, Entrepreneur and Author of Flip: How to Turn Everything You Know on Its Head – and Succeed Beyond Your Wildest Imaginings
12:35 – 1:30 p.m. Breakout Session A: Refresh, Rebrand, Reconcept
Elizabeth Blau, Founder and CEO, Elizabeth Blau & Associates

Breakout Session B: Have Your Pie and Eat It, Too: Building a Purpose and Values-Driven, High-Performance Organization
Nick Sarillo, CEO and Founder, Nick’s Pizza & Pub

Breakout Session C: Q&A with Peter Sheahan

Friday, February 11

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open
8:00 – 10:30 a.m. CFSP Exam
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CFSP Business Center Open
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Show Floor Open
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Education
Spotlight Session: Corporate Responsibility
Tim Sanders, Author of Saving The World at Work, Speaker and CEO, Deeper Media, Inc.
12:35 – 1:30 p.m. Breakout Session A: Beverages: High Margins, Lots of Competition, How to Get it Right
Stan Frankenthaler, Executive Chef/Director of Culinary Development, Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.

Breakout Session B: The Low-Hanging Fruit is Green
Joey Terrell, Franchisee/Owner, Denny’s Restaurants

Breakout Session C: Q&A with Tim Sanders
6:30 – 10:30 p.m. All-Industry Celebration (AIC)
Peabody Grand Ballroom, The Peabody Orlando Hotel

Saturday, February 12

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CFSP Business Center Open
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Show Floor Open
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Education
Spotlight Session: Future Trends
Brad Barnes, Certified Master Chef (CMC), The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and NAFEM Professor of Culinary Arts
12:35 – 1:30 p.m. Breakout Session A: Sustainable Food Programs and the Future of the Industry
Greg Christian, Founder and CEO, Greg Christian Consulting

Breakout Session B: What’s Hot? What’s Not? What’s Cool in Schools?
Nancy Rice, MEd, RD, LD, SNS, Director, School Nutrition Division, Office of
Finance and Business Operations, Georgia Department of Education

Breakout Session C: Q&A with Brad Barnes

Billy Booster

KYSO!

I enjoyed dinner last night with a good friend of mine from Switzerland. Dinner was great, as was the conversation with my friend Marco. However, what most impressed me was the outstanding customer service provided by our waitress. It got me to thinking about the things that make the difference between good and "knock your socksoff".

When we arrived at our restaurant last night, the valet parked my car and the hostess took my coat. I like that. She said "it's good to see you Mr. Booster". This impressed me even further. I said "I can't believe you remember my name - I haven't been here in nearly a year." "Well of course I remember you, and it's great to see you are back with us - we hope you enjoy your evening, would you like a drink in the bar - and can we seat you now" she asked? What great customer service I thought.

At Hatco, we pride ourselves in providing "Knock Your Socks Of" (KYSO) customer service. We train our people on product knowledge, communication skills, customer needs, being easy to do business, no hassle service, etc. We work hard on developing these skills because we believe going that extra mile to provide an incredible service experience that it "blows your socks right off your feet" (KYSO) is what separates us from the competition. As I enjoyed dinner and the great service from the restaurant staff last night, it reminded me of this very important business strategy.

After we were seated, our waitress arrived and also greeted me with "welcome back Mr. Booster - it's great to see you - how have you been?" I also remembered her and what a great job she did the last time I visited this fine establishment. We shared a few short stories and then she immediately got busy taking great care of myself and my guests.

Later she asked me how my friend Rick was doing. I was impressed she knew Rick was my friend. Then I remembered that Rick eats here quite often, and commented to me about how staff had sent him a Christmas card this season. I remember thinking - now that's a great restaurant - one that sends you a personal, hand signed card over the Holidays.

The rest of our meal was flawless. Food arrived at the right time, our waitress was attentive and paid attention to every detail. Everyone commented about how good the meal was, and how much they enjoyed the service.

As we left the restaurant, the experience was equally great. Our car was waiting when we got to the front door - as were our coats. Everyone wished us well on our departure, and even held the door for us as we walked out. "I will definitely eat here again" - I thought to myself.

Is your business a service business? Do your customers value KYSO service? Do you provide KYSO service? At Hatco we consider it "JOB #"!!!

Go out today and provide someone with KYSO service. I'll bet you see an immediate impact to your bottom line. Finally, if you want to know where I had dinner last night - send me an email: billyb@hatcocorp.com. I'll give you the name of the restaurant as well as the name of the waitress ...

Have a good day,
Billy Booster

Super Bowl Bound...

Go Packers! We are going to the Super Bowl! Is there anything else to say to day? We think not. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers on their impressive win over the Chicago Bears. The new George “Papa Bear” Halas trophy will look great among all those Lombardi Trophies in the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame.

Go Packers! We look forward to adding the Lombardi trophy for Super Bowl XLV to the other we have from I, II and XXXI. God bless Vince Lombardi, Aaron Rodgers, BJ Raji, Mike McCarthy and the balance of the NFC Champion Green Bay Packers. Go Packers Go!!! You are a team of destiny!!!

Cheers,
BIlly Booster

Go Packers! Go Packers! Go Packers!

OK - I know this is supposed to be a foodservice blog - but I can't help myself. It's Friday before the biggest game we've seen in these parts in decades. The Packers and the Bears in the NFC Championship. If you aren't familiar with this rivalry - go back and read my blog from Monday. If you are from Wisconsin and you don't know about this game - you need to leave the State now.

We all love a good rivalry. This weekend's game is as good as they come. They only thing that stinks is that one team has to go home a loser. Two great States - Two great Teams - Two Great Years - it's a shame it can't just go on forever. But, in the end - someone must be crowned the winner. And here in Wisconsin - we believe the winning team will be the Packers. Why? You ask...

Here are the top 10 reasons the Packers will beat the Bears on Sunday....

10. The ghost of Vince Lombardi lives and he will be in Chicago this weekend.
9. Jay Cutler will choke in the big game - he always does.
8. Clay Mathews, Tramon Williams and BJ Raji - need we say more...
7. You can't win a Championship with a leader named LOVEY.
6. Soldier Field has one of the ugliest facades of any stadium ever - "the mistake by the lake" - OK - this has nothing to do with the game - but we had to say it.
5. The Bear's strategy to keep the field soft and slow by laying down turf that is more like mud will backfire when the field turns to stone in the cold and favors the speed of Green Bay's amazing receiving core.
4. Aaron Rodgers is so hot he's on fire.
3. Dom Capers defensive schemes will turn the Bears into tiny cubs lost in the woods.
2. In Wisconsin, we've been hunting Bears for decades - these Bears will take the bait just like all the rest.
1. Goldilocks plans to sign with the Packers just before game time - remember what she did last time she was in the Bear's house.

Cheers,
BIlly Booster

Eating Dangerously!

Today were looking at exotic foods that can even kill! These are products you may not find in every day supermarkets. You may even wonder why anyone would want to eat these things, but the world is a wide and interesting place with many cultures that have different traditions grow out of necessity or curiosity. What follows is some fun and interesting information I discovered in an article published by Travel and Leisure magazine. I have attached a link to the full article at the end of this blog. Happy eats!

World's Most Dangerous Foods

#1 - Fugu, Japan
Fugu is a puffer fish that is fairly common throughout the World. People started eating this fish out of necessity. One small problem - it is so poisonous that one bite of the wrong part of this fish can kill you in hours - and there is no antidote. Why eat it then? Rumor is this fish is out of this world delicious. The sushi chefs in Japan have to be trained in the proper preparation - and it can take three years to learn the art of preparing Fugu. From my perspective - I would stick with the salmon, tuna, yellow tail or shrimp!

#2 - Crab, Latin America
This one surprised me. Why? Well, I've eaten crab in more than one Latin American country. What's the risk? According to Travel and Leisure - it's a vehicle for Cholera. Lesson learned. When in Latin America have the Argentinean Beef or some free range chicken!

#3 - Casu Marzu - Sardinia
This gets my vote for most bizarre. Casu Marzu is a cheese made of sheep's milk. Apparently it tastes like Gorgonzola - which sounds nice to me on first pass. However, apparently the Sardinian sheep herders use live maggots to ferment the cheese - and often the maggots still reside in the cheese when it's served. Eating it might give you a nice case of "enteric myiasis" - a nasty gastric disease. There is a very simple solution to this - eat Wisconsin Cheese!

#4 - Monkey Brain - Asia
Why in the world anyone would want to eat a Monkey Brain is a great question. When you add to the mix that it could also give you mad cow disease - I say it's easy to convince me to avoid this menu item.

#5 - Sannakji - Korea
Sannakji is "wriggling octopus". Apparently the Koreans like to serve these little octopi live. The risk in this is choking. According to Korean sources, many people choke to death eating Sannakji. Here again - I see an easy solution - calamari. I think these little octopi will taste very nice with a light breading and a good swim in a deep fryer. I bet you won't choke on them after that.

#6 - Giant Bull Frog - Namibia, Africa
I know the French like their frog legs, but apparently so do the Namibians. hey are in luck because they have these giant bull frogs that weigh as much as 20 ounces. One small glitch, their skin has toxins in it that are poisonous enough to cause kidney failure of even death. And unlike the Japanese and their Fugu, there is no apprentice program to train Namibians on how to prepare it safely. So, if you find yourself in Namibia with a hunger for frog legs - just say NO.

So there you have a short list of some of the world's most dangerous foods. If by chance you have ever eaten any of these items, please send me an email at billyb@hatcocorp.com. I'd love to hear about your experience. And, if you want to learn more about all the world's most dangerous foods - check out the full article at the link below. http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-dangerous-foods/1

Cheers,
BIlly Booster

Sick to Your Stomach...

Want to know what foods are most likely to make you sick? (if not prepared correctly) Check out the attached report from CBS news.

(CBS) Foodborne illness affects an estimated 76 million people each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among those cases, 325,000 people are hospitalized each year, and 5,000 die, just from what they ate. So, which foods have the highest risk of contamination?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention provided a list. The list included these foods:
1. Leafy Greens
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Cheese
7. Ice Cream
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries

CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained why certain ones ended up on the list, and what you can do to eat more safely. Ashton said the No. 1 item, lettuce, can be highly contaminated with bacteria.

Ashton recalled the 2006 outbreak with bagged spinach. Several people died, she said, and many were hospitalized. The greens, Ashton said, can be contaminated by the very common strains of E.Colia and/or Salmonella, causing large outbreaks of the disease. Often the greens become infected on the farm through contact with wild animals, manure and contaminated water, and then, the germs follow the product through the whole distribution system.

Salmonella, Ashton said, is what poisons eggs. "That's why you can't eat raw eggs in a Caesar's salad," she explained.

Outbreaks, Ashton added, can also happen from an infected person to a food product, and thus may indicate improper food handling during preparation.

Most of food borne illnesses, Ashton said, are mild and are not treated. You can get a stomach ache, cramps, or diarrhea. But, in more severe cases, she said, food poisoning can turn into kidney failure, paralysis, and even death.

However, Ashton said, people shouldn't avoid many of these healthy foods. They should just be sure that proper steps were taken to insure that the food product was prepared well.

To avoid food borne illness, Ashton recommended washing fruits and vegetables well. When cooking, Ashton added, you should also bring meat to about 160 degrees. Freezing, she added, can also kill bacteria. But, if you're at a salad bar, for instance, and you don't have a choice, Ashton said you should go for foods further back to avoid foods that may be contaminated in the front.

So there you have it - the foods most likely to make you sick. Remember, these are all healthy foods that are good for you - it all comes down to careful preparation and proper food handling. Can anyone say "Serv-Safe" - sign up for classes now!

Cheers,

Billy

Leadership, Technology, Relationships.

Yesterday I got more responses to my blog than ever before. What was the topic? Football ... While we are all excited about the upcoming game between the Packers and the Bears, I did promise to talk about something other than football today ...

So - here are some random observations on some very important topics:

#1 - Leadership
Our new Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, did something yesterday that I thought showed great leadership. "How so?" - you may ask ... He decided to promote the State of Wisconsin's efforts to bring jobs into our community. You see, the state usually puts the Governors name on the Welcome signs that greet you as you enter Wisconsin from Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa. Our new Governor is modifying all these signs, to say "Welcome to Wisconsin - Open for Business" leaving his name off. His goal, he said, is to attract jobs. I saw this as a great act of leadership

#2 - Technology
I was recently having lunch with a friend of mine. We were talking about the challenges we have with our parents and computers. He (like me) often finds himself fixing computer problems when visiting his parents. This got us to wondering about the future. Do you think our children will be doing the same thing for us when we get older, or do you think computer technology will advance to being so intuitive that training and troubleshooting will be a thing of the past? Will computers evolve into simple, easy to use devices that require no training, or, will they get ever more complicated? My recent experience leads me to think computers and technology are getting ever more complicated. My friend felt the opposite trend would prevail. What do you think? Send me your thoughts at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

#3 - Relationships
As we move forward on our new year's resolutions - how many of us resolved to improve our relationships and - how about relationships with our customers? There is a great article on this topic in this month's FEDA News and Views magazine. The article was written by FEDA President, Kim Gill Rimsza. Kim titled her article "It's all about the Presentation". Her article hit home with me because she talks about how the "eye appeal" of a culinary presentation (like great Chefs do with a well prepared plate) can translate to the kind of "presentations" we make to our customers. She notes that Chefs these days are focused on the "total experience" and not just the taste of the food. The presentation and eye appeal of the food must be equal to the taste. Beyond that, the overall experience must be great - not just the food and how it's presented. She then asks the question about our relationships - and our customer relationships. What are we doing to ensure the overall experience of our customer relationships is great - in all areas? She goes on to say "To really be of value, our sales team must understand their customers' business as well as their pain. They must know what food trends are out there and how it will affect their customers' menu choices or influence their equipment and supplies needs. In essence, they must work to help the customer become more profitable. That's the ultimate win..." I like Kim's message, and I think it's one we can all resolve to work on this year. Make sure you are impacting the overall experience of your customers in a positive way. And don't be afraid to extend this to any relationship you value in life.

Well, that' all for today. A few random observations on a variety of fronts. I welcome your thoughts on these and any other topics - so send me an email at billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Cheers,
Billy

Packers and the Bears!

Happy Monday! Can you believe it?! The Packers and the Bears are in the NFC Championship. I know that I normally only talk foodservice, but for us Cheeseheads in Wisconsin - this is too good to be true.

Below I summarize some great information regarding this, the NFL's oldest and most famous rivalry. The Bears vs. Packers rivalry is a sports rivalry between two professional American football teams in the National Football League (NFL), the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. The two clubs have won a combined 21 NFL Championships (including 4 Super Bowls) and have 48 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The rivalry began in 1921 and has grown to be the league's longest and most fabled rivalry with 181 regular season and post season games. With both clubs a part of the NFC North division, they will play each other twice each regular season. Chicago currently leads the all-time series 92–83–6.

This Sunday the two teams will meet in the playoffs for the first time in 60 years! The last time they met in the playoffs was Dec. 14, 1941, when the Bears won 33-14. The first time the teams met was in 1921, with the Bears winning 20-0 on Nov. 27, 1921. The largest margin of victory ever was in the Bears' favor, 61-7, in 1980. The smallest margin of victory was 2-0 with the Packers winning in 1932. The longest winning streak was 10 games by the Packers between 1994 and 1998 (the Brett Favre era). The Packer's also won the most recent meeting back in December, 10-3.

Sunday's game stands to be epic history in every sense (being the oldest rivalry)...two legendary franchises that exist as neighbors in Wisconsin and Illinois, two teams with very passionate and loyal fans, and all played out on national television with the entire world watching. (By the way, you might want to watch this one at home because seats between the 40's are currently selling for $2500 each!)

Tomorrow we will get back to foodservice, but for now, you got to love a good old fashion rivalry, especially one with nearly a century of history. Go Pack!

Billy "Cheesehead" Booster

Billy Goes Hollywood!

Hey gang, check out my videos on You Tube. There’s my premiere performance in “Hatco Refrigerated Wells” and then I just finished up work on “Hatco DL’s Configurator”. I like the title "Light My DL Fire", but it got censored. because Hatco wanted a" PG rating". Oh well!

My film career has evolved into helping everyone understand very simply how our stuff works….and why it works so well. So get yourself some popcorn, a drink, put your feet up and enjoy the show!!

And let me know what you think….Academy Award level?
http://www.youtube.com/user/hatcocorp

Have a great weekend!

Billy Booster (no autographs please)

Service after the Sale

Say it ain't so - but it's true. Billy Booster is in the shop for repairs. I tried to produce way more GPH than my rating and I burnt out an element. Thank goodness for Hatco's outstanding Technical Service Department. They are working hard to fix me up and get me back in the game. I know they will - as they are the best in the business. What makes for an outstanding service department ... let me tell you.

The primary strength of any Technical Service department is knowledge. Having knowledgeable people who can correctly troubleshoot a problem and quickly recommend the appropriate fix is essential. There are two key vehicles for this kind of knowledge. The first is experience. Our technical service department at Hatco has a ton of experience. Most of the team members have been with Hatco for ten years or more. They've seen it all, and this helps them respond quickly and accurately to any situation. The second key driver of knowledge is access to information. A good Technical Service Department has great systems that allow them to rapidly identify part numbers, serial numbers, equipment warranty history, locate nearest service agents, check parts inventory, etc. At Hatco, we have very powerful systems that allow anyone in the department to quickly access the history of any piece of equipment, the availability of any part, and the name and number of the nearest (of 500) authorized service providers who can quickly come out and fix your problem.

The second key strength of any great Technical Service department is training - lots and lots of training. Without training, Technicians cannot stay updated regarding the latest fixes, new equipment, ongoing updates and modifications, new troubleshooting techniques, etc. Hatco is constantly providing training to our Technicians. They conduct regular product audits, attend new product training, audit the Hatco Training University and leverage the many educational opportunities offered by CFESA - our industry trade association for Certified Food Equipment Service Agents. The Hatco team is ever learning and ever growing - getting smarter and more skilled all the time. Additionally, we are always providing training to our Techs in the field. Whether it be training provided at Hatco or locally on one of our "road shows", our team is out there showing the local service providers how best to troubleshoot and repair our equipment all the time.

A third key strength of a great Technical Service department is availability. Not only must parts be available - but also people. In regards to parts - Hatco has approximately 75 parts distributors around the country that are fully stocked with all our fastest moving spares. And if one of those distribution centers doesn't have the part - Hatco can ship most anything the same day you need it. We don't skimp when it comes to maintaining a ample stock of spare parts. Let's not forget the more than 500 authorized service providers who also carry a good deal of parts. If you need it - we got it - and we'll get it too you quickly.

The other thing that must be available is people. This is why we have a large department of Techs that can respond to your call quickly and on your first try. Moreover, these folks never sleep. Hatco provides Tech support 24/7/365. That's right - you can call day or night - and we will be there to answer the phone and help troubleshoot your issue. We understand the importance of keeping restaurants up and running - and that your busy time is often when everyone else has gone home for work. Count on Hatco to be there when you need us most.

Finally, it comes down to attitude. At Hatco, we pride ourselves in our Service slogan "Knock Your Socks Off" (KYSO). We want your service experience to be so good that it literally blows your socks right off your feet! In order to do this, we must act quickly and positively to solve your issues - hassle free and with a great service experience. This means we are happy, cheerful, cooperative and enthusiastic. We love what we do and we want you to feel that energy every time you call us. That's what KYSO is all about.

There are many other things that make a great Technical Service department - and I could go on about this for hours. However, I am needed in the shop as it seems my parts have already arrived and the Techs are ready to make the repairs. Fear not - Billy will be back up and running in no time.

Thanks for listening and have a great day.

Billy "on the mend" Booster

More Predictions

Restaurant Operators are very optimistic about 2011 according to a recent online survey conducted by "Nations Restaurant News". I blogged about this yesterday as well. Yesterday I discussed what the NRN survey identified as key challenges and opportunities for operators in the coming year. Today I want to share with you what this survey said about operator's outlook on sales, profits and unit growth. I find it very encouraging.

First of all - sales
70% of operators surveyed believe their 2011 sales volume will be better than 2010. 28% believe it will be the same. That leaves only 2% who believe that the new year will bring negative comps. When was the last time we saw that kind of optimism? It's been a long time!

Second - profits
65% of operators surveyed believe their 2011 profits will be better than 2010. 25% believe profits will be theLU same. That leaves on 10% who believe that the new year will bring a decline in profits. It's also been a long time since operators have been that bullish on profits. Excellent!

Third - unit growth
40% of Operators have no new openings planned for 2011. 39% plan to open more stores in 2011 than 2010. 16% will open the same number of units while only 5% will open fewer. While Operators are not quite as bullish on openings as they are on sales and profits - it's still much better than we've seen in the past. And, as reported yesterday, a lot of operators are planning investment in redesign, equipment upgrades and value menu initiatives. This means that even if they aren't opening new units, at least they will be making long-term investments in their existing units. More good news from my perspective.

All in all, it's nice to see some optimism for 2011. I hope you agree. Let me know what you think. Send me an email with your outlook at "billyb@hatcocorp.com".

Let's hope the new year continues to provide news of optimism and growth for us all.

Happy New Year,

Billy Booster

2011 Predictions

Foodservice operators are fairly optimistic about 2011. In a recent online survey performed by "Nations Restaurant News" - approximately 130 operators chimed in about their outlook for 2011. Some of the highlights are outlined below:

- Operators will benefit from increased consumer spending in 2011. 45% of all operators surveyed said this will be the #1 benefit to their business in 2011.
- The vast majority of restaurant executives predict sales and profits to increase over 2010 levels
- Operators are no longer focused on reducing the size of their work force
- Operators believe value menus and social networking will be key initiatives in 2011
- The biggest challenge for operators in 2011 will be increasing commodity costs - nearly 40% of survey respondents felt this will be their biggest challenge next year
- While 20% of operators fear unemployment rates will be one of the biggest challenges facing their businesses in 2011, a surprising 27% felt that job growth in 2011 will benefit their business
- Operators also see stalled consumer spending, government scrutiny and lack of investment capital as other key challenges in 2011
- In terms of investment, operators surveyed were split between redesign, technology and equipment - all agreed new unit growth would be tough

So there you have it - an early look at 2011 from the foodservice operator's perspective. What do you think 2011 will bring? Send me your thoughts in an email to billyb@hatcocorp.com.

Happy January 5th!,

Billy Booster