Orlando, Fla. — Berner International LLC., New Castle, Pa., the leading U.S. manufacturer and innovator of air curtains, honored foodservice manufacturer's representative Swanson Girard Associates, Pineville, N.C., with its Presidential Gold Award for Outstanding Sales Achievement–2016 at the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show 2017, Feb. 9, in Orlando, Fla.
Other honored award winners were:
- Presidential Silver: Sesco, Independence, Ohio–William L. Wickert, CFSP, president;
- and Presidential Bronze: Preferred Marketing Group, Chatsworth, Calif.–Jeff Couch, president; Tony Valvo, vice president & general manager; and Lance Corralez, culinary development chef.
The Berner air curtain product line contributed significantly to Swanson Girard's consecutive overall sales records in both 2015 and 2016, according to Principals Sean Girard and Paul Swanson. Major projects included the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with dozens of air curtains installed on shipping doors and back-of-house doorways; and the East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. Swanson Girard also increased back-of-house sales to major chains through foodservice equipment distributor, Trimark Foodcraft, Winston-Salem, N.C. throughout its territory of South and North Carolina.
Swanson attributes the back-to-back annual record sales to the opening of the 15-year-old firm's new 13,000-square-foot headquarters in 2015. The building's 2,000-square-foot test kitchen anchors the company's commitment to training and features stadium seating, state-of-the-art audio/video and will soon include working air curtain demos in the entrance. "They continually exploit the deficiencies of the competition, because their staff has studied our air curtain product lines' many advantages for foodservice applications," said Joe Banas, national sales manager, Berner International.
Sesco's Wickert attributed the 22-year-old foodservice equipment rep's resounding 2016 success to reaching more chain and independent restaurant brands through internet catalog dealers that helped promote Berne's growing specialty product lines such as the Drive-Thru Window and Walk-In Cooler Kit air curtains. Sesco's territory encompasses Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan and Western Pennsylvania.
Preferred Marketing Group, which covers California and Nevada, saw Berner's Architectural Recessed product line as the fastest growing segment for the company due to customer demands for aesthetics that ceiling-mounted, front-of-house air curtains can offer foodservice applications.
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PHOTO CAPTION: (l to r) Joe Banas, national sales manager, Berner International, New Castle, Pa.; presents Principals Sean Girard and Paul Swanson of Swanson Girard Associates, Pineville, N.C., with the Presidential Gold Award for Outstanding Sales Achievement in 2015/2016 at the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show 2017, Feb. 9 in Orlando, Fla.
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About Berner: Berner International LLC is a 60-year-old manufacturer and a leader in the air door/air curtain equipment manufacturing industry. Berner is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), The Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Air Movement & Control Association (AMCA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). For more information on Berner and its products, please call (724)-658-3551 or visit www.berner.com
Source: Berner International LLC
