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54 FEDA News & Views percent in the last four years. And now, chefs are being pushed to fi nd more creative ways to make it the star on the plate, thanks to a rise in plant-based everything—meat- less burgers, grain bowls, avocado smoothies and desserts. "Avocados are extremely popu- lar right now," says Wibel. "Several operators have come to us asking for a commercially-durable solution to work with them. Some just want to slice them. Others are looking for help in easily getting them out of their skin and removing the pit. We have to stay abreast of food trends and think through different options our customers can share with their customers. "In response to the low-carb trend, we just introduced a veg- etable noodler," adds Wibel, whose company is known for providing countertop equipment linked to labor savings, portion control and, more recently, sustainability. In 2016, Nemco's dipper well controller, the Smart Eco Rinse fea- turing RinseWell® technology, was selected as a Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award recipient at the NRA Show. To date, the plug- and-play device has saved operators millions of gallons of water. While a conventional system uses a continuous fl ow of water to keep utensils clean, the Smart Eco Rinse shuts off the fl ow after fi lling the dipper well and then recirculates the water while sanitizing it with a natural aqueous ozone. An optic sensor monitors the clarity of the water and when it becomes too cloudy, the device fl ushes the dipper well chamber and refi lls it with a new supply of clean water. In his fi rst year of using the Smart Eco Rinse, 7 Brew Coffee Shop owner Ron Crume says his business saved more than 150,000 gallons of water, per unit. The device was installed on four dipper wells. "We have an appreciation for products that are kind to the envi- ronment or can undo negative effects that can have a major impact on our planet," says Wibel, express- ing a sentiment that is right in line with what Forbes believes is a grow- ing social conscious about what we eat. According to the magazine, "mindfulness," defi ned as being conscious and aware, is expected to emerge as the most infl uential food trend in 2018. Consumers want to know, say pollsters, where their food is coming from and they want to support companies that have socially-conscious values and prod- ucts that support health, wellness and sustainability. Going to Market Keeping pace with change or, better yet, staying ahead of it has required Nemco to make a few internal changes of its own in the areas of engineering and product develop- ment. "To fulfi ll increas- ing speed-to-market demands, we've had to get better at predicting and designing products that offer a high degree of fl exible functionality," says Wibel. Take the cherry tomato. A cus- tomer wanted a way to perfectly slice them in half, which prompted Nemco to ponder what else, with a similar shape and size, could that operator and others mass produce. Grapes? Olives? "Flexibility has been huge for us," continues Wibel. "If we're going to spend the upfront tooling dollars and invest in engi- neering, it's most benefi cial to the customer and Nemco if we can give them one piece of equipment with multiple functions instead of multiple pieces of equipment." What broader trends have affected the way the manufacturer goes to market? There are a few— Amazon, of course, chain domina- tion, and speed—but the two that Wibel says have had the greatest impact on Nemco are reverberating throughout the industry. "The trend that has been most infl uential in how we go to market," she says, "has been the increased need for technology in all areas of our business due to a myriad of rea- sons, labor availability; the needs of consumers/end users/dealers/reps; the desire for higher quality outputs (producing parts, customer service, marketing programs); sustainability; the servicing of the millennial gen- eration of customers; the increased need to access data and informa- tion quickly and easily. We're using technology in engineering, manu- facturing, HR, fi nance, marketing… This has changed how we do busi- ness and how we think about our business signifi cantly. "As a secondary trend," adds Wibel, "global competition has changed how we go to market and how we do business. I think this challenge can result in a better product for the end user as it forces the industry to get better and chal- lenge assumptions every day." ■ 54 FEDA News & Views Show. To date, the plug- and-play device has saved operators millions of gallons of water. While a conventional system uses a continuous fl ow of water to keep utensils to support companies that have socially-conscious values and prod- ucts that support health, wellness and sustainability. Going to Market Keeping pace with change or, better yet, staying ahead of it has required Nemco to make a few internal changes of its own in the areas of engineering and product develop- ment. "To fulfi ll increas- ing speed-to-market demands, we've had THE POPULARITY OF PLANT-BASED MENU OPTIONS HAVE PUSHED CHEFS TO BE MORE CREATIVE WITH THEIR MENUS. NEMCO'S LATEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE TREND IS ITS VEGETABLE NOODLER.