service-driven approach. His strategic vision has elevated Burkett Restaurant Equipment to the No. 45-ranked dealer on Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine’s 2026 Distribution Giants report, and his involvement with FEDA and other industry groups has earned him recognition as a consensus-driven leader committed to advancing the industry.
While Burkett offers the distributor perspective, Brown brings experience from the manufacturing side of the channel. His background spans global service operations, finance, and commercial strategy, lending an international outlook to the State of the Industry Reports. As CEO of RSG, the company behind the Norlake and Master-Bilt brands, he leads a manufacturer known for its innovation, operational excellence, and customer success. That combination of experience and vantage point makes Brown an ideal voice to break down how supply chain headwinds are influencing the industry and altering strategies.
Connecting the Dots In addition to discussing the current
state of the industry, Burkett and Brown will explore the broader trends shaping the future of foodservice equipment and supplies distribution. Topics are expected to include supply chain collaboration, transportation visibility, operational standardization, technology adoption, and the growing importance of accurate and accessible data across business systems. Through their presentations, Burkett and Brown will show how advancements in each of those areas are fundamental to reaching the next generation of operational capability.
“The pace of digital transformation is accelerating faster than many anticipated,” Burkett said. “Artificial intelligence, in particular, is poised
to fundamentally reshape how our industry operates — from assistants and agents to fully digitized workflows. Organizations that embrace and adapt to these changes will have a meaningful advantage.” It’s a sentiment that will resonate in other conference sessions, especially the fireside chat with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and the Tech Talks presentation. But many of the issues Burkett and Brown will discuss also closely align with the ongoing work of the FDC, which is tackling long-term challenges impacting the industry. Through multiple subcommittees and working groups, the council is advancing initiatives in areas such as freight damage reduction, product data consistency, transportation management systems, and future supply chain innovation.
Attendees looking to dig deeper into those topics will have the opportunity to do so during the conference’s industry roundtable sessions, where small groups of distributor and manufacturer executives can exchange ideas, compare approaches, and work through the shared challenges their organizations are facing.
The State of the Industry Reports will lead off the conference opening general session, setting the stage for the themes and topics that will permeate through the rest of the conference. By pairing a high-level overview of current market conditions with practical insights into how industry leaders are approaching operational improvement and long-term growth, attendees will be prepared to engage at a deeper level with their fellow conferencegoers — whether during the structured peer exchange sessions or over more casual conversation on the resort’s patio. As distributors and manufacturers continue adapting to changing market conditions, the industry’s ability to
collaborate, innovate, and share knowledge will remain critical. For distributors and manufacturers looking to better understand where the industry is headed, the State of the Industry Reports offer a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the leaders shaping that future.
SESSION INFORMATION
State of the Industry Reports Sept. 16, 8:40 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. MT
JAMEEL BURKETT PRESIDENT AND CEO BURKETT RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT
AARON BROWN CEO
REFRIGERATED SOLUTIONS GROUP
Summer 2026 23
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