Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/414972
November/December 2014 53 ATS Logistics / Restaurant Supply Division 20-years experience shipping equipment & supplies to the foodservice industry Zero administrative expenses or fees Custom Freight Solutions utilizing super-regional & national partners Rate shop the best carriers in N. America for most desireable service lanes at reduced rates Deliver to more 1-2 days points with LTL's lowest claims rates When you must have a truckload, you must have ATS Parcel ground service that is customizable, reliable and more cost-effective Explicit delivery receipt to eliminate unplanned accessorial charges Full-visibility on web routing with immediate vendor compliance Real invoice audit including weight & class comparison to spec sheets In transit expediting & damage control Call Thomas Pine 614-725-9095 Service is the only thing we have to sell. Gustafson: It mainly focused on some technology implemen- tations and where we could use devices to make our show- rooms and our website more millennial-friendly. In some of our stores, we're testing iPad kiosks equipped with more self- help information. Customers can look up product information using manufacturer-specific apps or potential applicants can fill out a job application in the store. Some people don't want that over-the-phone interaction or face-to-face interaction to get the answers they need. That's what we are going to have to be able to provide (in the manner in which they are looking) or else we are going to drive customers away. N&V: While I know it's difficult to comment on what's going on outside of Ace Mart, I'm curious about your sense of where we are as an industry. Are you seeing an effort among the vari- ous channels to respond to what's on the horizon? Are they looking to recruit more young people and adopt new ideas? Gustafson: It varies. You look around in our industry and there are a lot of people with gray hair. There are lots of people who've been around awhile. On the other hand, from deal- ing with some of our reps and our factories, it's obvious that they know this is a problem. Lately, we've noticed a big surge of new faces and most of the time they have been younger ones. They're look- ing for new talent to bring in and they're obviously keyed into being open-minded and identifying this next phase of leadership. N&V: And you see this more on the supplier side than the dealer side? Gustafson: That's what I'm seeing. There are a lot of deal- ers that do not have a next generation that's interested in the business. That concerns me because I don't know how these companies are going to continue. I think that we're going to see a lot of people scrambling if tragedy strikes and they have to decide what to do with the company. Or, they may simply want to retire. I worry and I don't really know what's going to happen. From our perspective, we are working through a lot of those details and trying to be prepared for it, but I don't know if enough people in our industry are that far along. You hate to see all of these places close because there is no one there to take over the ship. Gustafson, Groff & Burkett Lately, we've noticed a big surge of new faces and most of the time they have been younger ones.