Foster Frable
2012 NRA Show Trends and Favorite Picks Before discussing specific prod-
rebounding and grow- ing, this year's NRA Show brought out optimistic attendees ready to grow their businesses and make
I
appropriate buying decisions. There were so many exhibitors that both the North and South Halls were completely sold out, and there was a waiting list for any cancellations. Next year the show will again have three levels of exhibit space, as many will remember from the boomtimes prior to 2008.
f there was any doubt the restau- rant
industry is
ucts, the following equipment trends observed at the show will likely have significant impact on our future busi- ness:
Off-Shore Products There was a significant influx of for-
eign equipment vendors, far more than previous years. Equipment offerings went well beyond commodity refriger- ators and mixers to include almost every product category from ovens to icemakers,batch freezers to ranges and fabrication.Themajority of the vendors were from China, Taiwan, Korea and Spain but there were representatives
from several other European countries as well. NRA has become a truly inter- national show, which is in sharp con- trast to the NAFEM Show,which repre- sents almost entirely US-based manu- facturers and importers. How could these products impact your business? • Some of these vendors sell direct to
customers, particularly, in specific nich- es like frozen yogurt store equipment. • They can offer lower costs than
American made products, but could potentially be a nightmare for you or your customers if the product fails. Unlike "Americanized" Asian refrigera- tion,many of the products fromthis new continued on page 24
22 FEDA News & Views
