MPM Food Equipment Group Celebrates a Decade as a Leader in Food Equipment

Strong Service Culture and Outstanding Employees
Create Foundation for Growth

Northbrook, Ill.–MPM Food Equipment Group celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2013, growing from a startup regional food equipment dealer to a national and international independent distributor that is the food service and supermarket industry’s sales and service leader.

“I started the business in 2003 with a vision that MPMFEG would provide unparalleled service to its customers with very competitive pricing,” said MPMFEG Founder and President Larry Nicholson. “The great associates at the company have helped me develop a culture of responsiveness, which guides us and promotes our growth.”

“’Service’ is a word with many meanings,” said Paul Krueger, Director of Sales – Retail. “To most, it congers up the thought of a technician holding a tool. But real service begins before the equipment is ever purchased. This is where MPM shines. We listen to and work with our customers to choose the best piece of equipment to suit their needs.”

The company’s growth over the years has enabled MPMFEG to offer a rare asset in food retail and food service: the capability to receive and stage all of a customer’s equipment on-site at its large warehouse, and then uncrate, deliver, assemble, startup and train – all as part of the process.

“When MPM makes a sale, that is just the beginning,” Krueger said. “We become partners with our clients. Equipment purchased from MPM doesn’t arrive at the client’s location as just another box or crate, it arrives ready to be pushed into place, ready to be installed, to conduct training, and to be used. And that’s not the end of our commitment. We remain partners after the fact. Often, we become advocates when issues arise with service companies and factories, if our customers are not being treated fairly. This is extra service MPM provides that sets us apart.”

MPMFEG has access to the widest range of quality brands in the industry at great prices. The selection includes Hobart, Revent, Traulsen, American Baking System, Delfield, and Cleveland Range, among others.

“MPMFEG partners with the best service companies, and construction and trades vendors – including carpenters, plumbers, and HVAC, electrical, and gas contractors,” Nicholson said. “With MPM’s extensive industry experience and knowledge, we are able to address every detail of your project with competency and efficiency.”

“MPM takes the time to thoroughly understand the needs of their clients and offer the best possible solution,” David Reeder, National Sales Manager. “That’s why we have been around for 10 years and will be around for many more. We make equipment buying easy!”

There have been plenty of milestones in MPMFEG’s 10 years.   MPMFEG has equiped and serviced some of the largest grocery stores in the world at over75,000 square feet. In January 2013, MPMFEG acquired Connecticut Food and Weighing Equipment of Newington, Conn.

“As part of MPMFEG family, we have the ability to provide our customers with the same level of service they were used to getting,” said Ed Wiernasz, Vice President of MPM-Northeast. “But we now can offer a greater amount of equipment choices, and have the staff back in Chicago to help ensure that the whole process from quoting, ordering and delivery go off without a hitch.”

Also in 2013, at Howells & Hood restaurant in Chicago, MPMFEG “installed the largest draft beer system in any restaurant in the world to our knowledge,” said Jason Akemann, co-owner of Bottleneck Management. “This is our fourth project with MPM [including Sweetwater Tavern, Old Town Pour House, and South Branch Tavern and Grille]. MPM had nothing but solutions for a project where there was nothing but questions.”

“After 10 years,” Nicholson added, “MPMFEG has established itself as unmatched for providing personal attention to our customers, from large national grocery chains to a family-owned restaurant.”

About MPM Food Equipment Group

Representing the finest food equipment manufacturers in the business, MPMFEG teams with a large group of trusted partners to provide support, design, installation, product training and service to deliver projects on time and on budget.

For more information, visit MPMFEG at http://www.mpmfeg.com/ or call 1-800-976-6762.

Northfield Community Church Tastes the Future at MPM Food Equipment Open House

Congregation Celebrates “Kitchen Capital Campaign Kickoff” Party at MPM’s Showroom

NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 7, 2012 – The congregation of the Northfield Community Church got a taste of some new things that will be cooking in their kitchen, courtesy of MPM Food Equipment Group.

On Saturday, May 5, MPM hosted an open house for the congregation at its showroom in Northbrook, to showcase some of the great new kitchen equipment that MPM has bid for installation in the church. Find out how you can partner with us by calling us at (847) 297-6762 or toll free at (800) 976-6762. If you would prefer, you can click the MPM contact page and submit your information.

The Church wanted a gathering “to give our congregation a chance to view the type of equipment we want to acquire for our remodeled kitchen, to wine and dine the members, and to collect pledges to the Kitchen Capital Campaign that is going to pay for the project,” said Susan Allen, one of the cohosts of the event, along with Jean Miller.

“Our congregation approved a Kitchen Capital Campaign on April 22,” she said, “and we asked people to come to this event and bring their pledge cards.”

“The Northfield Church wanted to host an event to celebrate the new kitchen,” said David Fallon, MPM’s director of food service sales. “They were going to have it at the church, but they mentioned that the congregation members would want to see some of the equipment. So we decided to have it at the showroom.

“Some of the congregation members made hors d’oeuvres,” he added. “We had some tables, some cocktails, and some music. We helped do some of the hosting while doing an introduction to the new equipment.”

Allen said, “At our annual congregational meeting on May 17, we will ask our congregation to approve the expenditure to remodel the kitchen this summer. This is dependent on how much money we raise between now and then.” She added that she believes the Kitchen Capital Campaign Kickoff did its job to help raise some money.

Ovens at Age 50 Needed Replacing

“Last spring, while preparing for our church’s 60th anniversary celebration,” Allen said, “Jean and I found out that the 50-year-old ovens in our church kitchen were not holding temperature properly and parts were no longer available for them.

“We reached David Fallon,” Allen added. “He came over, looked at our kitchen, and explained to us that it would not be as simple as buying replacement ovens. Ovens are no longer made in the size we have, and venting requirements are different. These changes require other changes in our kitchen, which triggered village requirements for which we have previously been grandfathered.

“Jean and I met with the village to understand what needed to be done to remodel the church kitchen, got approval from our church council and trustees to form a kitchen committee, hire a kitchen designer (Tom Laws), and most recently to launch a Kitchen Capital Campaign to pay for the improvements. Jean and I are hoping that Northfield Community Church will be able to complete this remodel this summer.”

“The new equipment will make the kitchen more efficient” Fallon said. “Tom Laws of Alpha Design did the layout of the new kitchen. This will better enable the church to handle events.”

A Positive Outcome for MPM and the Community

Northfield Community Church will be using this equipment to help fulfill the vision statement of the church, which is “to be an oasis of grace in the heart of the community in which all are welcome.”

Since its founding, MPM has been committed to being engaged in the community as a positive member. Hosting this open house is nothing new, in fact, Fallon said. “We had an open house in the showroom in November, so we’ve done this before.”

Larry Nicholson founded MPM in 2003 with the mission to offer the highest-quality food equipment and design services while providing the best customer service in the industry. “The Northfield Community Church is just a few blocks away,” Nicholson said. “It just makes sense to have this at our showroom so that everyone can see just what they are getting.”

About MPM Food Equipment Group

Representing the finest food equipment manufacturers in the business, MPM teams with a large group of trusted partners to provide support, design, installation, product training and service to deliver projects on time and on budget.

For more information, visit MPM at http://www.mpmfeg.com/ or call 1-800-976-6762.