MANUFACTURER INSIGHTS:
HOW MANUFACTURERS MEET TODAY’S CHALLENGES
Leaders in equipment manufacturing share their insights on how the new normal is evolving as the industry undergoes transition.
By Ethan Gibble B
etween labor shortages, challenges in sourcing vital components and materials and the need to develop
new products for a constantly changing market, it’s not easy being a manufacturer in any industry – let alone one whose end users touch every American’s life every single day. But it’s because they continuously rise to those challenges that c-suite executives in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry are seen as leaders. They are individuals helping to guide the industry during one of its most consequential periods of transition. Attendees of the 2022 FEDA Annual Conference will have the opportunity to hear directly from some of those manufacturing leaders during the
22 FEDA News & Views
opening general session on Sept. 21. In a preview of what attendees can expect to learn, the session’s participants offered some preliminary thoughts on a handful of topics that will be explored with moderator, David M. Stafford, president and CEO of Stafford-Smith.
Meeting Demand
Supply chain disruptions have been a constant presence for more than a year, as distributors struggle to source the equipment an operator needs or identify an available alternative. Manufacturers in all industries have found it diffi cult to keep pace with the surge in demand that occurred as COVID-19 restrictions lifted, and the challenges posed by labor and component shortage have only
aggravated the issue. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, worker productivity fell by 7.3 percent in the fi rst quarter of 2022, representing the most drastic decline in quarterly productivity in nearly 80 years. Further, output decreased by 2.3 percent while hours worked increased by 5.4 percent, showing that manufacturers are under increased pressure to produce equipment as quickly as possible. “Productivity is absolutely a challenge right now for manufacturers,” says Steve Maahs, president of Alto Shaam. “We’re all trying to keep assembly fl ow moving. With the work in progress and supply chain issues, it can easily compound itself and greatly reduce productivity.” As evidence that supply chain issues are a pain still shared
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