14 new products, energy-saving and innovation awards highlight NRA Show

May 7th, 2006

A host of new products, the latest innovations in accelerated cooking, a wide array of energy-saving products, and two Kitchen Innovation Awards were among the Enodis highlights at the annual National Restaurant Association show held May 20-23 in Chicago.

Enodis and its operating companies displayed 14 new products and presented many others making their NRA debut. Among the new products were a host of accelerated cooking models including the Merrychef 402S oven, a high speed induction griddle and X-Press Grill with product recognition from Garland, and the Kitchen-Innovation-Award-winning Lincoln IR Conveyor toasters and Convotherm by Cleveland combi ovens. Frymaster introduced new E4 Fryers, energy-efficiency and production leaders in their class, while Delfield launched the ConvoChill line of blast chillers that create an integrated production system with the Convotherm combi-oven. (For a full list of Enodis new and featured NRA products, click here.)

Operators from all foodservice types visited the Enodis Energy Pavilion for special presentations on the latest in energy-saving products, and to learn about more than 100 Enodis Enerlogic™ products that deliver energy savings and qualify for utility company rebates. Enodis also launched a special 90-day-deferred-payment financing program for products with Enodis Enerlogic™ ratings.

At the show opening, Applebee’s chairman and CEO Lloyd Hill presented 2006 Kitchen Innovation Awards to Lincoln and Cleveland for the Lincoln IR Conveyor Toaster and the Convotherm By Cleveland Combi Ovens. The products were selected for the awards by an independent panel of judges of design experts and representatives of multiunit restaurant operations including Aramark, Disneyland, McDonald’s and Quizno’s. Following the award presentations, Kitchen Innovation Award winner from Enodis were available for demonstration at the NRA’s Innovation Pavilion and in the Enodis exhibit.

Throngs of operators viewed and sampled foods from live cooking demonstrations at the Enodis exhibits. A team of chefs prepared appetizers and entrée items using accelerated cooking products including the Merrychef 402S, new models of the Dual Technology Finisher from Lincoln, Garland induction cooking units, and the Convotherm by Cleveland Combi Ovens. Several local Chicago foodservice operators were invited and selected to test their own menu items in the accelerated cooking products, bringing new levels of hands-on testing to the show floor.

Enodis also honored its STAR Service network with a special recognition event and award presentations.

Said Enodis CEO Dave McCulloch, “The NRA show provided Enodis and our companies a great opportunity to demonstrate the momentum in our business and the many innovations and benefits we offer foodservice operators around the globe. We spoke with many operators who shared expansion plans, optimism for general market momentum and their high levels of interest in our new products, our accelerated cooking portfolio, our Kitchen Innovation Award-winning products and our Enerlogic program. We thank all our many visitors for the opportunity to share with them the latest from Enodis, and especially for the opportunity for us to learn more about how we can continue helping them improve the efficiency, productivity and profitability of their operations.”