Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037828
Summer 2018 49 This July, John Nackley celebrated his 22nd year as CEO of Metro, although his tenure in E&S surpasses that marker by another 10. He started his career in the technology industry but was recruited by Metro, a space optimization and transport solutions provider, in 1985. What was so alluring about E&S? There was a matching of the minds with former CEO Richard Maslow, and the same wonderful mix of intimacy, imagination, and innovation that continues to keep him intrigued. "When I looked at it," reflects Nackley, "it was an industry that allowed for creativity. It is a large, small industry where people know people, and you can really flourish. You can become a signifi- cant part of the vision and see the benefits of your ideas come to fruition." Manufacturers and distributors struggling with how to showcase the breadth of a career in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry should bottle Nackley's sincerity and hand it out by the truckload on college campuses. The flurry of trends and change colliding with technology throughout the landscape make it an ideal envi- ronment for millennials looking to problem solve and innovate, he says. Grab-and-go, changing menus, use of technology and apps, and the rapid expansion of catering and delivery have greatly influenced the aesthetics of commercial equipment and kitchen design, forcing operators (not to mention manufacturers and distributors) to rethink the flow of the front and back of the house—and how they should serve their custom- ers. "One of the critical trends that I see is the need for flexible, multipurpose space," says Nackley. "In order to expand their overall revenue base, as well as to appeal to rapidly changing customer demographics and value systems, operators need space that can be used in varying ways to JOHN NACKLEY Metro "I was recently at the SHFM [The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management] conference in New York and the entire program was dedicated to the concept of flexible space and technology." By Stacy Ward, Editor in Chief stacy@feda.com