Your firm is very quickly building a reputation for excellence in both the local national marketplaces.
Frank Doyle: We’re very proud. We’ve won a couple of awards. We went to NAFEM and didn’t go anticipating anything. But we were awarded the 2014 Beverage Air Sales Rep of the Year and that is a huge accomplishment because the business has been in our family for over 35 years.
Then Howard McCray Refrigeration, also another family-owned business, awarded us the 2014 Rep of the Year. And then we went to a sales meeting at ColdZone, owned by Reem Refrigeration, one of the world’s largest HVAC manufacturing companies, and we were awarded the Pacesetters Award for 2014. It just goes to show we are an extremely enthusiastic and very motivated rep firm. We don’t sit back and wait for the phone to ring to take orders. We actually are that aggressive where we go out and get orders and our follow-up is fantastic. That’s how we were able to achieve these goals.
What do you think sets you apart?
Customer service is extremely important to us. We’re the type of firm where, if something needs to be handled in the field, it gets handled by us. If something comes in with legs instead of casters, we’re the first people out there to make it right.
We know it’s just a part of doing business. Equipment is going to break. We make sure we take care of those problems and that it doesn’t drag out, that problems go away as quickly as we can make them go away. Our goal is within 24 hours to have your equipment up and running to your satisfaction. A big part of our business is support after the sale. Put that all together and that’s why TD Marketing has been so successful over the years.
You have a new relationship with ITV. What attracted you to the line?
It’s absolutely the people behind the product. I’ve learned as a manufacturer’s rep, plus my factory experience, that it’s the people behind the product who make the real difference.
When I personally met with Javier Rivera face-to-face, I saw the passion in his eyes and his facial expressions when he was presenting his line to all his manufacturers at NAFEM and I said, that’s a person who believes not only in his product but in his team and that’s what takes a product to the next level.
When you’re able to stand behind a product, put your face, your name, on that product, you know what’s going out the door is going to be the highest quality product out there and a lot of it has to do with being family- owned.
A lot of the manufacturers we represent are family-owned businesses and we’re passionate about supporting and representing these companies because we believe in quality. After the sale, service support is so critical to keep these pizzerias and country clubs and delis and restaurants and nightclubs up and running.
They need immediate attention, immediate service. It’s inevitable that things are going to break. How you handle it is critical to your future success. That’s how you get testimonials and repeat business.
That’s how you move forward. Working with a man like Javier, who believes in his product, puts out the most quality product and will guarantee ice, tells me right there, what they’re doing is serious. They’re not a fly-by-night imported-type brand. They’ve been manufacturing commercial ice machines in Spain for over 35 years in over 100 countries worldwide. It’s a serious manufacturer. All we have to do is show people the man behind the machine.
What are some of the key features behind the ITV line? Why should a dealer or consultant spec ITV?
Simplicity. We really made it easy. We took out a lot of the bells and whistles that complicate ice machines, made it user-friendly, easy to operate, easy to clean. Just like many domestic icemakers today, you have to provide options for customers who expect different types of ice shapes and sizes and we offer that — the half-dice, the full-dice, the full cube for those specialty high-end liquors. And the material being used – the 304 series stainless steel, with everything insulated and anti-microbial finishes so bacteria can’t grow. Water and energy usage are always top priority for ITV, making sure we can produce ice using less water and less energy than any other manufacturer out there and still get the high production.
What do you like about its Spika model?
The footprint of the ice machine itself, the size, is what’s so great. It gets into those small spaces that larger machines can’t. And the size and shape of the half-dice cube. It’s a chewable, softer cube; it gives you very good displacement in the glass to provide the optimum profitability for operators. More ice in the cup sometimes means less beverage, which generates more profitability for operators.
New York has a lot of seafood restaurants. Tell me about the Alpha line flaker product.
Flaked ice is used for display purposes. For seafood markets, buffets, salad bars, it’s just fantastic. It’s not just larger supermarkets but smaller boutique stores that are specializing in quality meats and fishes these days. They want to show ice’s freshness. It’s the first thing when you see something on ice, it’s fresh, that’s what it means. That flaked ice from the Alpha will stay in formation a lot longer than a cubed ice, so it’s not going to water down. It’s going to show the highest-quality product for an end-user to display. Our flakers are manufactured of the highest-quality materials. Our 304 series is stainless steel with built-in technology to notify or assist that machine. If it senses any kind of obstruction or freeze-up, the machine will shut itself down so it doesn’t cause any major damage to the internal parts of the equipment. It’s a smart-running flaked ice machine.
You also do bins and filtration, so it’s a complete package.
There are different markets, different-sized bins, including dispensing bins for hotels. We’re an approved supplier for Choice Hotels, which are all over the world. We developed an insulated hotel dispensing system that’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing dispensers to look at. Our cubers fit right on top for those hotel apps. Then we took it into our line of standard bins, a 500-lb stainless steel insulated bin with a stainless steel cover and a 900-lb stainless steel bin with a stainless steel cover. It’s important for aesthetics and these machines that will be seen by customers. You want to provide something that’s a little more pleasing to the eye, rounded corners and stainless steel legs standard. We really want to make an attractive piece of equipment. A lot of kitchens today are front-of-the-house and seen by customers.
How would a dealer get in touch with you?
For more information, call us. Or talk to your service companies. Chances are, they’ll recommend us!
