Thank You to Our Direct Connection Sponsors! |
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IN THIS ISSUE
FCSI On Tap
Conference 2022
Membership News
Industry News
Quick Links
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Play to Win, Don’t Play Not to Lose |
I am sure you have heard of this quote. It certainly pertains to athletes and is often used among businesses who strive to be great instead of simply good. Hang on to that for a minute.
Covid-19 descended upon us, and we have been put through twenty-two months of shock, uncertainty, unfortunate sickness resulting in unimaginable loss of life. We have navigated conflicting messages from persons in leadership positions, an array of less than fully developed information, operational and economic impact, and the list goes on and on. The burden is so insurmountable that it would make you want to hide in a cabin deep in the woods. Many figuratively did just that. Thank God, many more did not. Not our healthcare workers or first responders. Not our grocery store workers. Not those that provide our heat and electricity or our safety network. Certainly not our entire foodservice industry….
Play to win, don’t play not to lose. If you play to win, you do whatever is necessary to move things forward. You’re not reckless but you are certainly not tripped up with hesitancy, analysis paralysis, and fear. When you play not to lose, your ability to truly, truly problem solve with utmost creativity and ingenuity is overshadowed by a huge sense of responsibility and obligation to your customers, vendors, your employees, the shareholders, your job actually, the company or an institution’s assets, and above all your obligation not to fail. Absolutely, all those responsibilities are important. However, unhinged responsibility can get to the best of people and render leaders ineffective. Evidence of that exists all around us and speaks to the poor decisions or inaction that we witness. Thank God, the majority, if not all of our beloved foodservice industry consists of people, teams and organizations who play to win.
I often tell my friends and colleagues how I love this foodservice industry. No matter where I travel, who I meet, what industry icon I listen to or career trailblazer I watch, I feel a sense of connection, pride, and respect. I think it is because the folks in this industry play to win. But gosh, this damn pandemic brought out the best in this industry and I am prouder to be a part of it.
The last 22 months are abundant with success stories of companies, teams, and individual trailblazers who did what was necessary to move things forward regardless of all the burdens Covid-19 caused. Manufacturers innovated, operators got food to where it needed to be, culinarians and restaurateurs reinvented the delivery methodology, designers created workable spaces, installers made it all real. These folks played to win. It is an attitude, and a damn good one at that. It gives purpose. It feeds the energy that helps us plow through all those burdens and obstacles. It keeps us from retreating to the cabin in the woods.
With this perspective, I urge you to go back to some of the industry articles you have read, YouTube, and the video recordings of our associations and organizations and see what playing to win looks like.
We are in good company, my friends, and I am so looking forward to the exciting, innovative years to come.
--Leonard Condenzio, FCSI
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Wade and friends are BACK!
On Tap presented by FCSI The Americas returned for its new season on January 3. This season's guests include many longtime FCSI members and a few new faces.
Check out the new On Tap website to view the newest season and rewatch episodes from Season 1 and Season 2.
January Guests
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FCSI TA Conference Montreal
April 21-23, 2022
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We're looking forward to the 2022 Conference in Montreal, Quebec!
We are excited to bring you quality education, dynamic speakers, and exciting evening events! Most importantly, we are excited to bring you together with your Industry friends and peers - live and in person - all from charming and beautiful Montreal!
More information about the conference, including session descriptions, registration, and hotel information is available at http://fcsita.org.
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Travel to Canada requires a valid passport, proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and a negative COVID test. Updates on travel to Montreal are available here.
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Thank you to our current sponsors! |
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Associate Members
Dylan Halaszynski, Bayard FSD
Herve Laurent, HL Foodservice Consulting
Tyler Palace, Foodspace
Tania Hernandez Salazar, Hernandez Arquitecta
Chris Wair, Reitano Design group
Corporate Members
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Congratulations to our Newest Professional Members! |
Emalee Austerman, FCSI
Camacho Associates, Inc.
Kai Deering, FCSI
Stewart Design Associates, Inc.
Emre Evren, FCSI
Jacobs | Doland | Beer
Kelsey Patterson Kettner, FCSI
Culinary Advisors
Phillip Landgraf, FCSI
Ricca Design Studios
Brent Robertson, FCSI
Cosper & Associates, Inc.
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In Memory -- Gertrude Bernard, FCSI (EM) |
Gertrude Bernard, 96, of Montreal, Quebec, died December 22, 2021. She was born March 19, 1925, in Drummondville, Quebec and served as President of Bernard & Associates, Inc. in Montreal. She was a member of FCSI since 1955.
Condolences to the family can be shared at
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Join the FCSI Educational Foundation Board of Directors |
Have you ever thought about taking a leadership role in FCSI? Well, here is your chance!
The FCSI Educational Foundation is seeking interested consultant members to join its board of directors. The Foundation is in a rebuilding mode and this is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of significant change within the organization.
The requirements are simple: one hour-long Zoom call a month and one face-to-face board meeting each year. Airfare, hotel accommodations and meals are provided.
If you are interested, please send a message to Greg Jewell, organization administrator, at gregj@fcsief.org.
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Request for a Consultant's Help on a Project in North Texas |
Mark Sutherland, President of Vision Builders & Design, is in search of a foodservice consulting partner for a project in North Texas. The partner firm must have Texas HUB certification. If your company is interested in this opportunity, contact Penny. |
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The FCSI The Americas Membership Committee Needs You |
Are you a Professional Member looking for a way to give back to FCSI? Volunteer to serve as a member of the FCSI The Americas membership committee. The committee requires a total time commitment of approximately 10 hours per year. Service on an FCSI committee also earns 3 CEU credits.
Contact Penny to learn more about the committee and to volunteer. |
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Renew Your Membership TODAY! |
If you have not yet renewed your membership for 2022, please submit your payment ASAP to avoid suspension of benefits!
Several reminders have been sent via email. If you have not received your statement, please contact Penny to ensure that we have your current contact information. Or, access your profile here to pay your 2022 dues and update your profile!
F or questions regarding your membership or renewal statement, contact Penny.
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Be Sure to Log Your 2021 CEUs! |
We have extended a grace period to get CEU credits tracked for 2021.
If you have not updated your journal yet, do so ASAP to retain your membership!
A commitment to lifelong professional development is one of the things that sets FCSI consultants apart from others. This commitment indicates to clients and industry professionals that FCSI members are always current with their skills, their knowledge of foodservice equipment and products, and industry trends.
- Associate members are required to earn 3 CEU credits.
- Senior Associate members must earn 6 CEU credits.
- Professional members must earn 12 CEU credits.
Contact Penny if you have questions about your journal or logging CEU credits.
Instructions for logging CEU credits in your journal:
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Looking for Employees or a New Job? Check out the FCSI Job Board |
FCSI The Americas has a job board available for members to post open positions. All FCSI The Americas members are able to submit job opportunities.
The job board is part of the main FCSI website and is available to anyone looking for a new job in the foodservice consulting industry.
If you are interested in posting a job, contact Penny for more information.
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Meiko Announces New Team Member |
MEIKO US welcomed Suzanne Painter-Supplee to its team in January. Suzanne will work directly with the foodservice consultant community to increase awareness for MEIKO's brand and products.
Suzanne will develop and conduct specialized training programs focused on the FCSI consultant audience. Her experience with REVIT will allow her to bolster MEIKO's CAD and REVIT libraries.
Suzanne has more than ten years of experience in the foodservice industry. Most recently she served as Director of Facility Design Services for Turbo Air, Inc. Prior to that she held leadership positions with Vollrath, Champion, Scotsman Ice Systems, and Hobart. Her passion, though, is warewashing, and she is excited to bring sales, growth, and profitability to MEIKO US and its consultant clients.
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National Restaurant Show 2022 |
The National Restaurant Show is scheduled for May 21-24, 2022 at McCormick Place, Chicago. Registration is now available for attendees and exhibitors.
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Three Foodservice Manufacturers Go Global on KCL |
KCL announced that Lainox, Scotsman Ice, and UNOX expanded their presence on KCL beyond North American lines to include their EMEA/APAC products. This increase translates into more than 650 new CAD drawings and Revit families between the three brands. Lainox has a 145% increase in their presence on KCL, while Scotsman is up 152% and UNOX lists 172% more.
“This expansion makes it easier for designers and consultants around the world to take advantage of KCL’s best-in-class design tools,” according to KCL president, Kevin Kochman. Luca Salomoni, KCL’s EMEA & APAC VP sales director added, “These companies recognize that KCL makes it easy for them to connect with thousands of international foodservice designers, as well as KCL’s large North American audience. We make it easy and affordable for manufacturers to list their products. KCL’s generous site license for users and free mobile app provide unparalleled visibility.”
All three brands have listed North American lines on KCL for many years and anticipate continued success with expanded EMEA and APAC lines.
Alessandro De Blasio, Vice President Sales Marketing at Scotsman Ice Systems has high hopes for this expansion, “We've had such success with our North America line on KCL that we knew it was time to expand. We don't want to miss out on sales as more designers, dealers, and consultants in the EMEA and APAC regions adopt KCL's time-saving design tools."
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Foodservice Consultant Needs Your Help!
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Calling all Professional Members! In order to ensure that we continue to serve you with what you need most from our print and digital offerings, we would greatly appreciate it if you took five minutes to complete this feedback survey.
It is vital for us to understand your requirements and what you tell us here will help make sure that we offer all Professional Members the best possible service.
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Compass Consulting Industry Report |
The December monthly industry snapshot shows that overall SSS improved slightly, driven mostly by the QSR sector. Consumer sentiment rose, driven by an gain in income for the lowest 1/3 bracket. View the entire report. The restaurant industry summary for December 2021 notes that operators were much more optimistic. In interviews many operators indicated that sales had improved and the staffing issues were easing. View the report.
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Want to share your stories, projects, or insight? |
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Headquarters is always happy to feature articles from Consultant Members in the Direct Connection. We encourage Consultants to take some time and share experiences with the membership. No idea or topic is too silly!
If you would like to have an article featured in the Direct Connection, submit it to Amy by the 23rd of each month.
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