Meet me in St. Louis

FMI’s Energy & Store Development Conference is one of the premier networking opportunities for grocers. These days companies are under pressure to take a fiscally responsible approach to spending on everything from large equipment and design purchases to justifying which trade shows give their buyers the best bang for their buck. FMI’s Energy & Store Development Conference affords retailers the opportunity to check off all of those boxes. The conference, which takes place September 7-10 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, offers show-goers a chance to learn from the best in the food retail industry about energy efficiency and conservation, as well as store design and merchandising. FMI officials say the conference also helps attendees enhance their industry knowledge and skills, connect with other professionals and potential business partners and teach retailers how to invest in cost-saving solutions while creating customer focused, environmentally-friendly stores. Attendees, add FMI officials, can also learn about innovative ideas in design, merchandising and energy conservation, as well as gain new ideas to help reduce costs, improve sustainability and build a better customer-focused shopping experience. As usual, the GreenChill Awards ceremony is slated for Monday morning. General sessions include retailer experiences with CO2, EPA update, Global Retail and Store Design Trends, Net Zero Energy Store Update and an Energy Market Update. The closing session is Executive Star Power: How to Inspire and Lead Others, One Conversation at a Time. Conference highlights include the Manufacturer/Retailer Exchange and Reception, which takes place from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday and from 4:30-7 p.m. on Monday afternoon. New this year—suppliers with a table in the Manufacturer/Retailer Exchange can now have tabletop displays. Store and facility tours this year include Parker Hannifin-Sporlan Division, a tour of Hussmann, the new Schnucks Lindenwood store (open to retailers and wholesalers only) and a tour of Schnucks and Dierbergs Flagship stores. These tours will be offered Wednesday morning, September 10 from 7:30 a.m. to noon. For more about the conference, including specific agenda details, visit www.fmi.org. Here is a glimpse at some of the companies exhibiting at the conference. AHT Cooling Systems AHT Cooling Systems manufactures energy efficient, environmentally friendly plug-in refrigeration and freezing concepts. Its solutions are adjustable depending on customer needs and focused on cost savings. Features include low to no maintenance, minimal heat emission, low sound, the ability to maintain food quality and integrity and positive product presentation to drive incremental sales, say officials for the North Charleston, S.C.-based company. AHT has been producing commercial refrigeration/freezing equipment with R290 since 2002. Officials will be available to discuss their R290 solutions, new models and products in the development cycle. They will also be able to share more information on the company’s Vento line, which is a plug-in modular refrigerated multi-deck that is available with or without doors and can be installed as endless runs. www.ahtusa.net Baltimore Aircoil Co. Baltimore Aircoil Co. will be featuring its TrilliumSeries Condenser. The TrilliumSeries has the lowest total cost of ownership for supermarket refrigeration systems, with a 44% reduction in peak energy usage compared to air-cooled condensers, say officials for the Jessup, Md.-based company. It also lowers water usage compared to evaporative equipment, with no water treatment required. With 60% lower refrigerant charge, TrilliumSeries Condenser can help retailers meet the EPA’s GreenChill certification, officials add. It is available for transcritical CO2 applications throughout the U.S. “This offering, unique to the TrilliumSeries, gives retailers the peace of mind of knowing that there are no regulatory liability restrictions or expensive future retrofits due to refrigeration phase out,” says Paul Noreen, director of adiabatic sales, North America. www.baltimoreaircoil.com CrownTonka CrownTonka will be featuring Sanisteel, its latest slip resistant walk-in flooring. Officials for the Plymouth, Minn.-based company say the pre-coated steel flooring is also anti-bacterial and was specifically developed for the foodservice and food retailing industries. Sanisteel is designed to inhibit the growth of germs and can eliminate any that may be present and is proven to be effective against a wide range of harmful bacteria, add officials. It is also NSF certified as food safe. Greg Sullens, senior vice president of sales and marketing, calls the product “a game changer” for several industries. “We created this distinctive surface to help operators meet their food hygiene obligations, while at the same time, significantly reduce slip and fall incidents, promoting workplace safety,” he says. www.crowntonka.com Danfoss Danfoss officials will be talking to attendees about several products including its current natural refrigerant projects that are moving from pilot to mainstream and an innovative new TXV that they say delivers more energy savings, less shrinkage and lower installation and maintenance costs. Officials for the Baltimore-based company will also be discussing its store controller and companion app that is designed to provide efficient, sustainable solutions, as well as its enterprise management capabilities and full suite of scalable service capabilities that they say delivers proven ROI. “From evaporator control to enterprise management Danfoss is fully equipped to help solve the complex challenges retailers face,” says Jonathan Holloway, food retail segment manager—Americas. www.danfoss.com Dwyer Engineering One of the chief reasons officials at Dwyer Engineering, a mechanical and electrical engineering firm that specializes in cost-effective solutions to energy issues, are attending the FMI Energy & Store Development Conference is to help retailers understand the changes that are about to affect store design as a result of modifications made to the 2012 IECC/2010 ASHRAE 90.1. Brian Davis, a principal with the Leesburg, Va.-based company, says changes will be required in lighting controls, dimming, dual level switching occupancy sensing and additional requirements for skylights to be utilized in certain situations. He says Dwyer can assist companies in determining how to best implement these requirements. “We offer energy modeling that can assist with energy design decisions, which is a valuable tool when dealing with the complex interactions of the various mechanical, electrical and refrigeration systems within a grocery store,” says Davis. www.dwyer.com Emerson Climate Technologies Emerson Climate Technologies will address sustainability, energy and maintenance offerings through its CO2 products, ProAct Services and R-404 alternatives. Mitch Knapke, refrigeration market manager—food retail for the in St. Louis-based company, says the nonflammable refrigerant, CO2, has low toxicity, neutral ozone layer depletion and minimal global warming potential. “The efficiency, reliability and liquid handling advantages of Copeland Scroll technology in the ZO range of Copeland Scroll compressors make them ideal for exploiting the characteristics of CO2 refrigeration systems,” says Knapke. “ProAct allows a real-time performance assessment for timely information on energy expenditure, maintenance costs refrigerant leaks and shrink causes.” www.emersonclimate.com Howe Corp. Howe Corp. manufactures energy efficient, durable flake ice machines that use the lowest amount of water per pound of ice with capacities starting at 1,000 pounds per day, say officials for the Chicago-based company. Officials will discuss how its flake ice machines can help retailers conserve energy and water. The robust flake-ice machine design means that the unit can be configured for use with any refrigeration rack including non-ozone depleting options of subcritical or transcritical CO2, glycol and other natural refrigerants. Howe also has ENERGY STAR qualified model ice flakers with production capacity from 1,000- to 4,000-pounds per day. “Our machine’s many features make them ideal for retailers requiring flake ice for fresh seafood or produce,” says Andrew Ortman, vice president of sales and marketing. www.howecorp.com Hussmann Corp. Lighting is one of the key topics officials at Bridgeton, Mo.-based Hussmann Corp. plan on discussing with retailers. Andrea Wagner, director of merchandising and applied technology says that food retailers need to create shopping experiences that engage their customers and keep them coming back.  “Having a ‘lighting story’ is one way to attract shoppers, guide them to specific destinations within your store and influence them to make a purchasing decision,” says Wagner. She adds that today’s LED technology enables food retailers to take a holistic approach to their overall store lighting from overhead general ambient conditions to accent lighting in specialty and prepared food departments to in-case lighting that enhances the visibility of product displays. www.hussmann.com Parker Hannifin – Sporlan Division Parker Hannifin-Sporlan Division will be highlighting its Supermarket Test Lab. Developed by Sporlan engineers and now operating within its Washington, Mo. division headquarters, Sporlan’s Supermarket Test Lab is the refrigeration industry’s most modern, comprehensive and sophisticated supermarket test lab, say company officials. The Sporlan Supermarket Lab was created to analyze refrigeration controls, control strategies and system efficiencies. “It puts component and systems testing methodologies where they are needed most—within the supermarket itself,” says Mark Schmalz, market manager‑food retail. Sporlan’s supermarket systems include a low temperature and medium temperature rack system, a variety of supermarket display cases, a temperature controlled outdoor room with condensers from 30°F to 100°F, temperature and humidity controlled test chambers and a state-of-the-art data acquisition center for collecting and analyzing data. www.sporlanonline.com Resource Data Management Resource Data Management (RDM) has a global presence in the building automation controls and remote monitoring industry. After opening for business in Scotland in 1999, RDM began supplying the majority of the U.K.’s major grocery chains with building controls and remote monitoring. RDM’s true open protocol and non-proprietary solutions have gained the trust of their customers and saved clients money while improving store operations, say company officials. In 2012, the company established U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis to more directly serve the North American market. Officials say end-users operating RDM systems reported 30% energy savings across their integrated refrigeration, HVAC and lighting. Company officials will be talking to retailers about several of their RDM’s products including the HD touch screen Data Manager and Intuitive Plant controllers, all of which are backed with a five-year warranty. www.resourcedm.com Verisae Verisae, a global provider of SaaS, cloud-based solutions, will highlight its enhanced Energy Management solution—vx Conserve. Using remote alarm monitoring and a single mobile dashboard, Verisae helps companies reduce energy consumption, maintenance spend and environmental impacts. According to Rob McConnell, senior vice president, product design and architecture for the Minneapolis-based company, the system has a three-phased approach—data, reporting and automation. “Verisae creates a centralized repository of utility bill and site attribute data, uses reports to uncover anomalies and shortens response times to avoid missed savings opportunities,” says McConnell. Verisae can aid grocery retailers in establishing energy baselines, tracking performance and rewarding performers, while demonstrating how to make an immediate impact on controlling and reducing energy and maintenance expenses, add officials. “The system allows retailers to measure, manage and monitor energy on one integrated platform using real-time data, while simultaneously gaining rich insight into energy-related projects and both supply and demand side energy,” says McConnell. Verisae is also sponsoring FMI’s Energy Breakout Track, consisting of six enlightening sessions. www.verisae.com Zero Zone Since the original 30-inch door Zero Zone Crystal Merchandiser arrived on the scene, Zero Zone has added several case options. A 24-inch French door model has been added to the line, which includes two-, three-, four- and six-door models in four-, six-, eight- and 12-foot case lengths. According to Carl Petersen, marketing and advertising manager for Zero Zone, based in North Prairie, Wis., these models allow retailers to merchandise their cases in four-foot planograms, the same as they were used to with open cases. Zero Zone also offers deep case versions of the Crystal Merchandiser, great for stocking cases of beer and rear-load versions that can adjoin walk-in coolers and be conveniently stocked from the back room. Rounding out the Crystal Merchandiser line, is the low-temp model, which shares the same sleek design and elegant look of the original, allowing retailers to add the Crystal Merchandiser style and merchandising ability to their frozen food and ice cream lineups, say company officials. www.zero-zone.com