Dillon Hansen, Commercial Kitchen Supply

Dillon HansenDillon Hansen has worked in the foodservice industry for more than a decade. Currently, he is project manager and lead designer for Commercial Kitchen Supply based in Centerville, Utah. He works with regional and national chains as well as handling some contract work with school and healthcare foodservice providers.

Q: How have your customers’ expectations changed over the past few years?

A: I would say expectations are higher. Chains have very high expectations, and they have set the level we need to reach.

Q: How has the way you work with your supply chain partners evolved over the past few years?

A: It differs by customer. I have been working with a handful of chains that are connected with capital firms. In these instances, they often like to receive information from the dealer and the manufacturers. In contrast, smaller chains just starting out and working without capital partners will work directly with the dealer as their single source for information.

Q: What will dealer sales reps have to do in the future to continue to add value?

A: I would say design is very important, as is having your own install team. We have gained a lot of business by having an internal design team and the product knowledge we bring to the table. And when you have your own install team, it’s easier to schedule installations.

Q: What excites you about the future of the foodservice industry?

A: Having these new ovens or grills that cook things precisely and in a timely manner is pretty exciting because it shows the way manufacturers are adapting to customers’ needs. Manufacturers are coming up with different ways to help operators to speed the cooking and meal prep functions, which helps them get food to the customer quicker. There are different ways to cook and hold menu items that keep product fresh and still tasting like it’s just right off the grill. That part is pretty exciting.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

A: It’s not the same thing every day. I’m one of those guys who would probably get bored doing the same thing every day, over and over again. In this industry, there’s constant change coming with customers adapting to the economy and needing help trying to find different solutions. New customers keep things interesting, too. They have their dream of having a restaurant; helping them through that process and seeing the joy they have once the project is complete is great, especially when you help an independent open their first restaurant.

Q: Thinking back to when you first joined the industry and based on what you know today, what’s the one piece of advice you would have told yourself back then?

A: Don’t get too stressed out. One way or another, it always works out. I would say create a trusted team, and once you get that team, things come together smoothly, quickly and with ease. I would not be where I’m at today if I didn’t have the team to back me up. It comes down to having a big team base.

DSR 3-2-1

Dillon Hansen, Commercial Kitchen Supply, sits down with Jason Wange, Foodservice Powerplant Network, to talk about being named an FE&S DSR of the Month.

Find more episodes of DSR 3-2-1 here.

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Presents DSR 3-2-1 is sponsored by Salvajor.