The yin-yang dynamic that Chrane Foodservice Solutions principals Christopher East and Duane Guidry share is evident as they recall their roots and plan for the future.

Duane Guidry: We were two guys in a corner at a party who thought they knew everything. “Let’s start our own rep group,” we said, and the next morning, we were at a diner with pen and paper, sketching out our plan. Eighteen months later, we opened our doors as Chrane.

We didn’t have any lines to represent at the start. We jumped in Chris’ truck in January 2008 and drove around Texas and Oklahoma to introduce ourselves to all the major dealers, end users and consultants. Despite people telling us what we were trying to do would never work, we grew fast. Had our first manufacturer within two months and hired our first sales rep by the end of the first year. Now, 17 years later, we’re going to reach the 50-employee mark.

Christopher East: We’ve always shared the mindset that we take our business seriously, but not ourselves. 

DG: We’ve been 50/50 right from the start. It starts with two individuals who know who they are. We are very similar at the core. We’re both ambitious and want to create and build. We value honesty, loyalty and respect. We have an unwavering, unmetered trust and appreciation for the other and how our skills complement the other’s. I’m the clutch; Chris is the gas pedal. 

CE: We’re not going anywhere any time soon, but we’re putting a lot of thought into building the team that gets us to the next level. If either Duane or I were to step away from our day-to-day roles, what would we need from current and upcoming leaders to continue to perform as a Top 5 rep company?

DG: Chris and I are no longer the sole owners of the company; we’ve brought in two new partners, Nick Hughes and Matt Burden, and that’s a part of the succession planning. In fact, Nick came up from within the company. He truly earned his opportunity for ownership because he’s always worked for Chrane as if it were already his own. Matt came about a year ago and brings a number of valuable relationships. Bringing them into the ownership structure is as much a growth mechanism as it is a
succession plan. 

CE: We’re proud that our team isn’t the stereotypical ‘pale, male and stale.’ Half are under age 40. More than two-thirds are women. That’s evolved organically, but what we can take credit for is creating a cultural component in our recruitment. Whether the position is for a VP or a member of our First Impressions team, we’re transparent about the long, involved interview process. The last component is doing a social activity with current employees. It might be bowling or an escape room, usually something with some sense of competition — we are a sales organization, after all. Employees assess whether a candidate will be a good fit in our corporate culture — something they are very protective of. We’ve had prospects that check all the boxes on tactical components, but not the cultural one. 

DG: The industry is evolving. I think that in the future, there will be just a handful of mega rep groups. We have our eye on that, without a doubt. We’ve always had an eye on that because if you’re not growing, you’re dying.