Reinvesting in the future

The number of companies ready, willing and able to help retailers with their equipment and design needs continues to grow. Retailers attended the FMI Energy & Store Development Conference to learn about industry trends, attend workshops on energy, refrigeration and store development and network with their peers. However, attendees were also given the first peek at some of the latest developments and innovation being offered by leading equipment and design companies. Industry observers say the attendance figures at the show are proof that retailers are finally ready to loosen their purse strings and reinvest in their stores—especially when it comes to updating and modernizing their operations with more efficient options. But where to start? On the following pages is a sample of fixture, store design, equipment, facility maintenance and retail marketing service companies who are ready to assist retailers in discovering cost-saving solutions for creating state-of-the-art, customer-focused, environmentally-friendly stores. Alpina Manufacturing Alpina Manufacturing, an OEM manufacturer since 1992, is known for its frames and stands that enable retailers to quickly install and change graphics and posters without having to remove frames from the wall. Alpina, based in Chicago, manufactures their products in the U.S. and company officials say they can quickly produce a single custom unit of any size or color, plus they offers free shipping, online ordering and instant pricing. www.fastchangeframes.com Alto-Shaam Created specifically for use with Alto-Shaam’s electric and gas Combitherm ovens, the company’s Automatic Grease Collection System is designed to save labor and provide greater employee safety by eliminating the handling of hot grease normally collected and emptied by hand from a drip tray. The technology is automatically activated during the cooking process as chicken grease and other byproducts are automatically pumped from the oven cavity into remote grease collection containers. Officials for the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company say the grease disposal system also features an optional mobile cart that allows for safe and easy transport to a grease disposal container, making large batch cooking safer, cleaner and more efficient. www.alto-shaam.com BARO North America BARO North America introduced its Alpha H1 LED family of fixtures at this year’s National Grocers Association show in Las Vegas. According to company officials at the St. Louis-based company, the Alpha H1 is the most powerful track- based LED product line available to the North American market. Designed specifically for supermarket lighting, the Alpha H1 offers 10 different LED array options covering a range of color temperatures from 2700K to 5000K. The Alpha H1 LED from BARO is available in traditional track form as well as pendant and recess options. In addition, two different wattage choices of 59 and 95 watts give even greater design flexibility allowing supermarket owners to create a truly high quality LED lighting system, add officials. www.baerousa.com CAREL USA CAREL USA, a maker of refrigeration, air conditioning and humidification controls, provides total store integration and optimization solutions for the food retail industry, say officials for the Manheim, Pa.-based company. CAREL’s technology offers retailers the ability to create tailored solutions for the total store management of refrigeration, lighting and air conditioning with a benefit of reduced complexity, add officials. The CAREL total store solution focuses on providing food safety and energy savings for small, medium and large footprint food retail stores. In addition, the company’s full enterprise monitoring and reporting software is designed to complement installed hardware to provide real time operational performance visibility. www.carelusa.com CIP Retail CIP Retail creates customized interior décor and signage for retail environments. Officials for the Fairfield, Ohio, based company say that whether a project needs a turnkey solution—from creative design to fabrication and installation—or a company for fabrication and delivery of an outside design firm’s vision, CIP can handle it. “Your retail space is where you connect with customers, forging relationships with them for, hopefully, years to come,” says Mike Huff, vice president of business development. “Often times, in an overt way, through great customer service, but also in a more subliminal way through the environment you create.” www.CIPstyle.com Cummins Allison Cummins Allison develops solutions designed to quickly and efficiently count, sort and authenticate currency, checks and coins. Whether it is for a chain of superstores or a small independent, officials at the Mt. Prospect, Ill.-based company say self-service coin counters can deliver powerful benefits that can grow a business and improve the bottom line. With four procurement options: buy, lease, rent or machine placement, Cummins Allison gives retailers a number of choices for adding or replacing coin machines.  www.cumminsallison.com D|Fab D|Fab works with retail brands to establish a meaningful connection with their customers by creating store experiences that communicate creatively, consistently and cost effectively, say company officials. The Madison Heights, Mich.-based company handles projects from concept design through signage and décor production and installation. Officials say they have created a culture that supports uncompromised customer service and can respond quickly to fulfill project requirements that extend from single prototype concepts to national rollout programs. Some of the innovative products the company uses to bring store interiors and brands to life include CoreLite, TransImage and DecorLight. www.dfabdesign.com DCI-Artform DCI-Artform supplies front end merchandising (FEM) merchandisers, Magna-Bar peg systems and SpaceGrid/STS/MaxTrax tray solutions utilizing grids or bars. However officials for the Milwaukee, Wis.-based company say their pusher-tray and peg merchandising systems that face products and improve shelf capacity are just the start. DCI-Artform also brings 65 years of shopper-driven innovation to its solutions for pre-packaged meat, frozen foods, value-added produce, cheese, candy, pasta and other categories. The goal of these systems is to minimize cost and maximize product presentation. In the FEM space, DCI-Artform is advancing a new brand-neutral way to increase both sales and customer engagement, adds a company official. www.dci-artform.com Eliason Corp. Eliason Corp. manufacturers easy swing double action impact traffic doors. The Kalamazoo, Mich.-based company’s custom built doors are available in many sizes, styles and decor options and are found in a multitude of applications ranging from supermarkets and department stores to industrial, food service, restaurants and walk-in coolers. Eliason recently introduced a line of in-fitting and sliding cooler and freezer doors designed for retrofit and upgrade applications. Crafted from an entirely composite, thermally neutral FRP framework, the doors are foamed in place with non-CFC polyurethane. This combination provides outstanding thermal insulation, structural rigidity and longevity and eliminates concerns about moisture and warping, say officials. High insulating values up to R-42 are available depending on the model ordered. The composite face frame and optional mirror image casings are made not to rot or warp, add strength and stability and provide a neat appearance by covering previous holes and/or damage. www.eliasoncorp.com Globe Food Equipment Co. Consistency and precision are vital to uniform deli slicers, as is the ability to produce higher product yields and having easy to clean equipment. That is why Dayton, Ohio-based Globe Food Equipment Co. introduced its new N-Series premium slicers. Globe’s N-Series premium slicers incorporate top-of-the-line features that help retailers do all that, plus more, say company officials. They add that all models are BPA-free and certified by NSF International to go above and beyond standard performance (NSF ANSI 8 2010 Standard). www.globeslicers.com Henny Penny Henny Penny engineers and manufacturers products designed to meet the needs of foodservice operators around the world. The Eaton, Ohio-based company is most known for fryers and frying accessories. Its product line also includes holding cabinets, rotisseries, combi ovens and merchandisers. Company officials say the SmartCombi makes it easy to prepare delicious, perfectly cooked food while saving both time and money and that with the CrossWise Plus racking system in place, retailers can boost ROI by increasing their capacity up to 100%. Henny Penny’s Advanced Steam Technology is designed to distribute moisture evenly throughout the oven—ensuring consistency and preventing lime buildup that can cause maintenance issues and down time. www.hennypennymath.com/SC Hobart Not only is the Hobart HS Series heavy-duty slicer designed to meet NSF 8 guidelines with sealed seams, compliant fasteners and removable parts for easy cleaning, it also includes innovative patented features for better overall operation with every slice. Officials for the Troy, Ohio-based company say that the CleanCut knife offers a thin-edge design that provides improved yield, consistent cuts and reduced cost of ownership. In addition, Hobart’s patented, removable ring-guard cover is designed to prevent debris build-up on cutting surfaces and the exclusive tilting, removable carriage system allows for thorough cleaning and improved sanitation. The HS Series slicer is available in manual as well as automatic models. www.hobartcorp.com Juno Lighting Group Juno T271L Arc LED fixtures are designed to deliver well-focused, powerful track lighting for grocery and retail merchandising applications. These exceptionally thin, professional-grade luminaires are capable of producing over 1,000 lumens of color-consistent light. The 13-watt T271 Arc LED is five times more energy efficient than equivalent 60- or 75-watt PAR30 halogen fixtures, say officials for the Des Plaines, Ill.-based company. The Juno Arc is available in an Enhanced Spectrum version designed to make red, green and blue colors pop with unsurpassed vibrancy and saturation making it ideal for lighting grocery produce and many other applications. The Juno Lighting Group, a Schneider Electric company, offers commercial and residential lighting solutions. Under the Juno Lighting Group umbrella, the company comprises six product brands: Juno, Indy, AccuLite, Aculux, NaviLite and DanaLite. www.junolightinggroup.com Mart Cart Looking to help retailers address the needs of shoppers who require a cart with a heavy-duty design, Mart Cart, a product line of Assembled Products Corp., recently introduced the Ultima. This model features a 24-inch wide seat, one of the widest seats available today, a 22.5-inch rear wheelbase supported by solid dually wheels and a powerful 300-watt hub motor. Officials for the Rogers, Ark.-based company say the Ultima also has the highest weight capacity rating in the market today—rated at 1,100 pounds of moving capacity with the optional jumbo basket which offers more room for groceries to go in the cart. www.martcart.com Master-Bilt Master-Bilt, manufacturer of a full line of premier commercial refrigeration systems, introduces self-contained (SC), Endless Glass Door Merchandisers. Officials for the New Albany, Miss.-based company say the merchandisers combine the convenience of self-contained refrigeration with maximum flexibility for merchandising. The top-mounted condensing unit features quick-connect fittings, condensate pump and a vaporizer. It is pre-charged with refrigerant for fast, no-plumbing-required installation. The company offers 16 energy efficient basic models in medium and low temp with either 24- or 30-inch wide doors and fit most space requirements as stand-alone units or continuous line up. SC models have reversible glass doors, five cantilever shelves with price tag molding per door, LED lighting and meet the Department of Energy’s 2012 requirements. www.master-bilt.com New Age Industrial The Cantilever Shelving Systems from New Age Industrial offer retailers a solution for organizing walk-in refrigerators and other areas of the supermarket operation. Made from lightweight aluminum, the shelving includes a lifetime guarantee against rust, corrosion, material defects and workmanship. Additionally, each shelf holds between 700 to 900 pounds. The cantilever design, which requires no front support posts, results in easy access to products and increases storage capacity and the shelving system’s flexibility makes it easy to configure to meet individual needs, say officials for the Norton, Kan.-based company. www.newageindustrial.com Pan-Oston Officials at Pan-Oston work with a wide range of grocers from the world’s largest to the smallest independent to develop checkout and merchandising solutions that not only improve their bottom-line, but also enhance their customers’ shopping experience. From portal scanning, convertible (attended or self-checkout) lanes, locking tobacco displays and produce displays, company officials can take a retailer’s vision of the future and engineer it to work in the real world, today, say officials for the Bowling Green, Ky.-based company. www.panoston.com Parker Hannifin-Sporlan Division Retailers can eliminate the hurdles to broader implementation of secondary glycol refrigeration systems with the Sporlan Secondary Fluid Control package, say officials for Parker Hannifin-Sporlan Division. Laboratory and field installations have demonstrated case temperature stability within .5 degree of set point and reductions in compressor cycling by up to 60%. Officials for the Washington, Mo.-based Parker Hannifin-Sporlan Division add that regulating glycol mass flow to meet the unique needs of each case results in an overall reduction in glycol pump speed and energy consumption. Officials also say that by pairing a fully modulating stepper motor valve with advanced adaptive algorithms, they can achieve consistent flat line control without the headaches associated with system commissioning. www.sporlanonline.com Rational USA Known for its line of combi-steamers, Rational USA’s SelfCookingCenter Whitefficiency is one of its most popular units, say company officials. Frying, roasting, grilling, broiling, steaming, poaching, baking and much more, can be performed by a single self-cleaning piece of equipment. A variety of foods can be prepared by using one of the seven “touch-of-the-button” cooking modes. Officials for the Schaumburg, Ill.-based company, say that whether cooking for 20 or 2,000, the SelfCookingCenter Whitefficiency takes the guesswork out of meal preparation. SelfCookingCenter Whitefficiency units are available in gas or electric with capacities ranging from six-pan tabletop units to full size roll-in models. www.rational-online.us Southern Imperial Southern Imperial’s new Facer product line was created to offer a simple approach to optimize the appearance of wine sections and other bottled items. According to officials from the Rockford, Ill.-based company, Facer allows each row of bottles to be easily pulled to the front of the shelf, the result of which is a tidier presentation. They add that by using Facer, store staff can reduce the time spent organizing a wine section by 27% and reduce the risk of over-stocking or breaking bottles. Officials also say that by facing the merchandise, the product is easier to shop and there is a better communication of the brands and selection, resulting in increased impulse sales. www.southernimperial.com Trion Industries Both Standard and Gravity Feed configurations of Trion’s new Pouch Hook, designed to keep items automatically faced and forwarded, are now available. A proprietary rear tab keeps merchandise from being jostled off the back of the hook and the Flip-Front Label holder swings out of the way for easy product removal, say officials for the Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based company. Bar mounted, the Pouch Hook is available in four lengths compatible with standard shelf sizes permitting mixed use. The bars’ universal design allows for a no-tools installation on all thick and thin wall gondola and cooler uprights. www.triononline Zero Zone Zero Zone now offers a model of the Crystal Merchandiser featuring pairs of 24-inch doors, available in 8- and 12-foot lengths. The new model comes with four-foot shelves, designed for retailers that prefer the same planogram as an open case, but with the energy savings that the Crystal Merchandiser is known for (up to 84%). Officials for the North Prairie, Wis.-based company say that the new Crystal Merchandiser is ideal for a multitude of medium temp applications from fresh meat to beer and that retailers using the unit are reporting greater energy savings, excellent shopper acceptance, merchandising flexibility, shrink reduction and more accurate temperature control. www.zero-zone.com