Melissa Greenwald has met and done business in an energetic and enthusiastic manner with countless people since her career in the foodservice industry began in earnest back in 2005. But as the president of Greenwald Sales & Marketing, one person in particular stands above all in terms of responsibility for guiding and developing Greenwald into the successful business owner and manufacturers’ representative that she is today.

Rep news this month includes Gabriel Group merging with Byrne & Associates, while Refrigerated Solutions Group and Unox add to their networks and more.

Two rep forms combine to form Curate, while manufacturers Cal-Mil, Equipex, Marra Forni and Unified Brands all make changes to their rep networks.

EMC Hospitality buys Hodak Sales while PMG adds to its rep network and Limelight bolsters its line card.

Introducing EMC “A Hospitality Collective,” while Zink adds a refrigeration, ventilation and HVAC contractor and service company.

Gabriel Group merges with a group from Acosta Cornerstone. Alto-Shaam, Premier Metal & Glass and LTI add to their rep networks, while Greenwald Sales & Marketing adds a business development manager.

Two longtime associates acquire Preferred Source. 4-Star Reps adds to its culinary acumen while Greenwald and Mirk add to their line cards.

4-Star Reps and Ignite added to their teams, while BSE North adds to its line card and Limelight opens another test kitchen in Wisconsin. Plus, the Mirk Group opens in the Chicago suburbs.

Longtime manufacturers’ rep Jerry Yundt passed away on Aug. 2. Yundt was 80 years old. He was a principal at Jerry Yundt & Associates and spent more than 45 years in the foodservice industry.

As foodservice operators continue to evolve, so too must the supply chain that serves them. From a distance, though, it may not look as if a lot has changed among the individual links in the foodservice equipment supply chain. But a closer look reveals much has changed about the way that individual companies go to market, how they work with each other and more.

Roomle and Kitchautomation have developed a partnership that will assist the way foodservice operators and the supply chain work together to design commercial kitchens and specify equipment, supplies and more. The intent of the partnership is to further collaboration among foodservice operators, designers, equipment and supplies dealers, manufacturers' reps and others involved in the design process.

Mikasa Hospitality added three new members to its foodservice sales team: Mary Agnes Palumbo, Jean Fritsche and Michael Butler.

Avant Sales and Marketing expands its line card, while Channel Manufacturing, Equipex and Winholt update their rep networks. And Kelly-Mincks adds a business development manager.

New York-based manufacturers’ rep firm BSE Marketing is expanding into MAFSI region 2 (upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania) through the formation of a new division, known as BSE North.

An Ohio rep firm changes its name, while Texas rep firms Chrane Foodservice Solutions and EPI add to their teams. Also, foodservice equipment manufacturers Forza Forni, RSG and Wood Stone up their rep networks.

Rep groups making news include Chrane Foodservice Solutions naming a customer success manager, Culinary Equipment Group adding a corporate chef, M2 and Tri-State Marketing expanding their personnel and territories, a new name for Limelight and Zink updating its retail team.

Ability Reps, Chrane Foodservice Solutions and Performance Reps Northwest hire new talent while The Gabriel Group and Table Top Dogz add to their line cards.

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies named the recipients of its 2021 Top Achiever Awards. These individual awards recognize professionals from five industry segments for their abilities to not only run market-leading companies but also raise the level of professionalism for the industry overall.

Ignite Foodservice Solutions, a Denver- based independent manufacturers’ rep firm has acquired Pro-Pacific, a rep firm serving the Pacific Northwestern U.S. As a result of the deal, Pro-Pacific will go to market as Ignite Pro-Pacific.

Andrew Bachovin, a longtime member of the foodservice industry, died on Jan. 18, 2021. He was 74 years old.

A lot is happening in the rep world this month, including 4 Star Reps adding a principal, Eagle Frizzel and Maxwell-McKenney adding to their teams, as well as handful of rep groups updating their line cards.

In a deal that combines two Texas-based independent manufacturers’ rep firms, Miller & Associates has acquired E-Source. The company will now go to market as E-Source Miller.

Rep groups Chrane Foodservice Solutions, Culinary Equipment Group, ECHO Foodservice Marketing, Elevate Foodservice Group and Limelight Hospitality add new manufacturers to their line cards, while PCH Solutions introduces a new member of its customer service group.

What does one do when a pandemic suddenly makes visiting supply chain partners and end-users potentially not as safe as it once was? You hit the road to meet customers where they are.

A new rep firm emerges in New England, while Thermo-Kool and UNOX update their rep networks. Plus, Nordon taps a foodservice industry veteran to fill a key sales and marketing role.

The hallmarks of a great test kitchen start with the right equipment lineup, flexibility and a space that invites food experiments.

Throughout my life, I have always been close to my father. As a kid, if he was building shelves in the basement, I was with him. My father was the best man in my wedding more than 27 years ago. Based on this relationship, when the chance came to join the manufacturers’ representative firm that he and his partner Jack Kappus founded — SESCO — I jumped at it.

Pecinka Ferri Associates makes some personnel moves, while Limelight Industries adds to its growing line card. Plus, Elite Global Solutions recognizes some top performers from its rep network while Gaylord Industries updates its Florida representation.

Equipex, Gaylord Industries and Marra Forni all update their representation and Limelight Hospitality emerges as a new rep firm serving the Midwest.

Culinary Equipment Group, PB&J and various other rep groups updated their line cards. In addition, Zink Foodservice further integrated a recent acquisition into its company.