Q&A with Micro Matic USA’s Howard Green, manager, Design Center, and Trey Wiegand, chief sales officer
Micro Matic has the largest national installer network who provide scalable installation and support services across the USA and Canada.
One of the most common issues that food service equipment manufacturers encounter is delivering high-quality products to market promptly and cost-effectively, particularly in meeting tight project deadlines. This challenge is exacerbated by the manufacturing of custom draft towers, which require lengthier lead times during the construction of bars and restaurants.
In response to this industry hurdle - and to satisfy rising demand for unique offerings - Micro Matic, a global leader in manufactured draft equipment and solutions, has successfully expanded its custom tower fabrication capabilities and Design Center.
Howard Green, Design Center Supervisor, and Trey Wiegand, Chief Sales Officer of Micro Matic USA, discuss how this expansion has enabled Micro Matic to meet its clients' evolving needs while maintaining high quality and efficiency standards.
Q. What is the Micro Matic Design Center?
HG: The Micro Matic Design Center is our custom design team within Micro Matic USA. With over 100 years of collective experience, we leverage our power as a global manufacturer to design and build high performance custom draft towers and drip trays. Our cross-functional teams are able to bring a lot of resident expertise to projects, from estimating to engineering, fabricating to installation.
TW: The Design Center transforms our customers' concepts and ideas into tangible realities. In the ever-evolving restaurant industry, where innovative designs constantly emerge, distinctive draught systems not only elevate the visual appeal but also seamlessly integrate draught into the overall design aesthetics and functional necessities of the space.
Q. What can customers expect when collaborating with the Design Center team?
Our Custom Design team has created uniquely crafted draft towers to fit any bar, restaurant, club, or venue.HG: Our motto is ‘If you dream it, we build it.” No project is too big or too small. Our dedicated sales team is extremely adept at understanding our customers’ vision and helping set their expectations based on their operational goals. From there, our team of designers and engineers work together to design a tower that is not only beautiful but performs great. Over the years, we’ve produced thousands of custom draft towers, including one that poured out of the front-end of a VW bus, a 12-foot-tall organ pipe tower, to one inside a tree trunk. We want to be sure the tower we deliver is what they envision and that it performs better than they expect.
Q. What investments and/or innovations have been made by Micro Matic to improve overall quality control, increase speed to market and deliver a superior product?
TW: Micro Matic is committed to minimizing these challenges by making significant investments in our in-house capabilities. By strategically investing in our manufacturing capabilities, including new lasers, metal presses, and expanding our powder coating capacity, we have significantly improved our ability to manage costs, enhance quality and streamline delivery times. These investments are a testament to our commitment to supporting our entire business portfolio, whether it involves custom equipment or our readily available built-for-inventory offerings.
These strategic efforts empower Micro Matic to effectively manage costs and reduce lead times associated with custom production.
Q. Custom design typically has long lead times. How does Micro Matic circumvent these issues?
HG: Our goal is to provide a quote in as little as 24 or 48 hours if a drawing is required. Delivery is in only four to six weeks, which we see as leading performance in the industry. By controlling the manufacturing process, which is now in-house, we have shaved seven to 10 business days off our delivery times as well as allowing us to have greater quality control on the output and design.
Q. With the popularity of today’s cocktail culture having a versatile draft system that can pour a variety of beverages is critical. How does designing a custom tower adapt to changes in market demands?
HG: Our patented Kool-Rite™ insert technology is at the heart of all custom towers. Its adaptability allows us to create an entire custom around it, without sacrificing the performance of a single pour. Because Kool-Rite™ is constructed of all 304 stainless steel and the integration of Barriermaster™ tubing, our towers can adapt to wine, beer, cocktails or other beverages. Simply, just change the faucet and gas supply, and you’re ready to go.
Q. How does Micro Matic ensure customer satisfaction from the get-go?
With thousands of colors and textures available customize your bar's look with the perfect powder-coated draft beer tower design.TW: It’s crucial to initiate discussions with customers at the earliest stage of draught system design to optimize the system’s performance and scalability. Engaging in the early phases of this process guarantees that the systems are designed with the necessary flexibility to accommodate the specific product offerings and styles the customer desires today while also keeping in mind any future requirements. Accurate system design not only reduces the initial investment but also contributes to long-term operational cost savings. Between our portfolio of best-in-class equipment, expertise in designing draught systems, and truly understanding our customer’s business goals, we can meet that challenge.
Q. How do Micro Matic’s manufacturing AND project management capabilities meet customers’ needs?
HG: We are a fully vertically integrated draft equipment manufacturer; from sourcing raw materials globally to our manufacturing and assembly plant in Florida. With four strategically located regional warehouses, Micro Matic is supported by over 60 sales reps and national foodservice and project management teams. The end result is greater efficiency, cost effectiveness and heightened quality controls.
