Dennis Oland has been with Lafayette, Ind.-based service agent ICU Mechanical Company since its inception in 1999. Having begun his career studying HVAC and refrigeration while serving in the United States Army, Oland has held different positions within the company during his career before settling in his current role as ICU’s hotside foreman.
Dennis OlandLearning about new equipment offers a different challenge every day for Oland, and it is something he loves doing. Oland previously worked for Parts & Service in Indianapolis from 1993 to 1998.
Q: How has cooking equipment evolved for the better since you started?
A: I think that before, there were a lot of mechanical controls, and the accuracy wasn’t near what it is today. There’s so much tighter control now, and it’s so much more accurate. Training is a must now, I think. Before, I was able to fly by the seat of my pants. But you can’t do that anymore. There are a lot more safety devices now. There are tons of different improvements. Thermostats weren’t nearly as accurate. You used to have a 5- or 6-degree swing but now they’re tighter than they used to be.
Q: Given that today’s cooking equipment is higher tech than in years past, what’s the key to keeping these items running effectively and efficiently?
A: Planned maintenance is one of the top things. For example, we have a lot of minerals in our water here and 75% of the problem is mineral buildup with combi ovens. Our biggest challenge is to get customers to use planned maintenance and to get them used to deliming tools. If they do that, it will go pretty smoothly.
Q: Speaking of planned maintenance, what advice would you give to operators to convince them of the importance of planned maintenance?
A: It’s so much easier to take a little time to do preventative maintenance now rather than later. It’s a pain, but it is way cheaper to do preventative maintenance than repairing maintenance. It’s absolutely easier to do preventative maintenance. It takes less time, and we have the parts in stock, and we can find the problems and fix them in a preventative situation.
Q: Any equipment trends that are of specific interest to you right now?
A: The refrigeration field has changed a lot. There are new controls and new control systems. It’s the same with cooking equipment as that equipment is also changing. We have to stay on top of our training, and our company is good with getting us training if it’s needed. For instance, when one of the combi oven manufacturers update their controls and control systems, we have to stay brushed up on this stuff. We can do it online now for training. Without that info, it would be difficult to do. Training is a big thing that keeps us going.
