Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1037828
Summer 2018 53 Innovation is one of those words that has lost its luster. A Wired magazine contributor once called it the most important and overused word in America after making the case that its popularity has launched it into the upper echelon of moti- vational speak. The problem is the meaning has become muddied. When an industry declares, "We need more innovation," for example, is there a consensus among those charged with answer- ing the call about what that really means? For Michelle Wibel, CFSP, the president of Nemco Food Equipment, coming up with new ideas, services or products is about problem solving, which is often not so simple. "Some of the simplest solutions are the hardest to come up with," says Wibel, "but a very simple product can be super-innovative if it solves the customer's problem in the most efficient and cost-effective way." To find its way to the answers, Nemco works closely with various chains' R&D departments, and Wibel and associates also routinely host what they call innovation sessions, where they gather to pick apart their customers' processes. "We'll sit around the table. I'll take out a tomato and start by asking, 'What do operators do with a tomato?'" says Wibel. "They slice it. They wedge it. They chop it. Scoop out the middle to put chicken salad in it.'" Then, the conversation turns to how Nemco, known for its food-prep solutions, can either sim- plify a process or fill a void with a new product targeting a specific customer's needs. The latter was the impetus behind the Roma Tomato Slicer. It was originally designed for a large sandwich chain in search of a slicer that could accommo- date the Roma's oblong shape. "For us, menu churn at the restaurant level is a big deal," says Wibel. "It creates a lot of new opportunities downstream." Foods currently trending include sustainable menu items, as in root-to-stem and other forms of socially-conscious eating; anything between two slices of bread; and plant-based options like avo- cados. Once only thought of as a dip or a spread on toast, avocados are experiencing a rebirth and have seen double-digit growth in multiple foodservice sectors, says a United Fresh Produce Association study, which found that the use of the fruit in quick-service restaurants has jumped 24 MICHELLE WIBEL Nemco Food Equipment "A very simple product can be super-innovative if it solves the customer's problem in the most efficient and cost-effective way." By Stacy Ward, Editor in Chief stacy@feda.com