Several Strategic Organizational Updates

DENVER, CO – March 15, 2023 The Excell and Nissco buying groups announce several organizational enhancements in a recent strategic move to further strengthen their FE&S subject matter expertise to best serve their members. This is the final phase of key, strategic moves to align with the organizations’ momentous visions and goals.

The buying groups welcome industry veteran, Justin LaCrosse as Vice President of Business Development - Strategic Segments. By recruiting LaCrosse, Excell and Nissco take a bold step forward in their mission to revolutionize the buying group experience. With this inspiring move, both organizations are setting themselves up for a future of exponential growth and success.

As a CFSP with 23+ years of experience, Justin knows how to support dealers   and vendors to increase their volume and enhance end-user satisfaction. His passion for serving, mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and building relationships is sure to increase selling confidence which will result in increased individual volume AND group volume.

LaCrosse states: “I am excited to be joining the Excell & Nissco team! I believe my professional experience in the FE&S space will only add to the amazing team already in place and advance the company’s mission of “Stronger Together.” Lacrosse went on to state “I feel very fortunate to have the tremendous opportunity to make an impact in our dealer partners businesses, as well as the entire FE&S industry as a whole.”

In addition, Devyn Kelly is elevated to Vice President of Business Development - Vendor Partnerships. Kelly joined the buying groups in 2021, holding progressive roles and boasts over a decade of experience within the buying group landscape. Devyn’s role is primarily vendor-facing.

Calvin Johnston is elevated to Vice President of Business Development - Dealer Engagement. Hailing from Horizon Bradco, TriMark, and ITW/Hobart, Johnston brings two decades of industry experience. As announced in a prior press release, Johnston serves a critical role – enabling and driving growth through enhanced experiences for members. Calvin’s role is primarily dealer-facing.

CEO of the buying groups, Mike Jewett remarks, “Devyn and Calvin will work closely together ensure we continue to meet dealer members where they are, while helping them get to where they want to be.”

With LaCrosse, Kelly, and Johnston at the helm of Business Development and driving new initiatives, Excell and Nissco are poised to step into a new era of success. This trio of leaders will continue to focus on executing groundbreaking strategies that serve membership with top-tier expertise.

Jewett proudly states, “I am thrilled to be part of such an extraordinary team. Our collective efforts and relentless drive for excellence will no doubt bring great success and satisfaction to our business partners. As champions for the collective, we are ready to unleash a wave of new and innovative ideas that will revolutionize our buying groups in the FE&S space.” He adds, "What we have built is truly remarkable, and I can't wait to see where we go from here. We’ve only just begun and truly, the best is yet to come.”

Jewett concludes, “We are excited to explore innovative ways to push the boundaries of what is possible. The focus is not on being the biggest, but rather on being the best. If we become the biggest by being the best, that’s a bonus.”

Be sure to keep an eye out for more groundbreaking news from Excell and Nissco in the coming months. Join them on their journey into the future as they continue to make waves.

Nissco Welcomes Amerikooler & Arctic Industries

 
 
We are pleased to welcome Amerikooler and Arctic Industries to the Nissco Restaurant Dealer Group, effective January 1, 2023. 
 
Amerikooler offers a range of Quick Ship walk-in coolers and freezers that are readymade in the most popular sizes and configurations. Their 200,000 sq. ft.,state-of-the-art facility is among the most advanced in the industry, and their quote and delivery turnaround times are second to none.
 
Whatever shape, size or application Arctic can meet your needs. If field conditions require a column notch and/or angles, Arctic is the walk-in cooler manufacturer for you. Arctic Walk-in coolers are certified by Intertek to NSF 7, UL 471, and ASTM E84 (UL 723). 
 
 

Alyssa Auerbach Elevated to Vice President of Member Services

DENVER, CO – February 20, 2023, The Excell and Nissco buying groups are proud to announce Alyssa Auerbach's promotion to Vice President of Member Services, an essential role in their mission to revolutionize the buying groups. This is the first of several upcoming key, strategic moves to align with the organizations’ momentous visions and goals.

In her role as Vice President of Member Services, Auerbach will be responsible for developing and executing a strategy to provide an amazing customer experience while also delivering high value to members through marketing, education, events, and training initiatives. Alyssa will also oversee all branding efforts.

Auerbach states, “I am excited to take on this new role as Vice President of Member Services at Excell and Nissco. Over the past decade I have seen our organizations grow rapidly and I am eager to continue building upon our strong foundation for our members’ success. We are well positioned to provide the best possible services and solutions, and together we can create a better future. As the organization continues to grow, members will benefit directly from the groups' unique solutions, resulting in greater differentiation in the marketplace.”

Auerbach and her team launched Cutting Edge Online Training in January 2022, providing a comprehensive video-based training platform for dealers in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. Since then, it has expanded to become available to manufacturers as well, helping them tackle the challenge of onboarding and training both internal and external hires within the FE&S sector.

“Alyssa is the perfect choice for this role, and she has earned it with her commitment to excellence, as well as the integrity and passion she demonstrates for our team and our business partners,” said Mike Jewett, CEO. He went on to state, “Alyssa is uniquely qualified for this position given her in-depth knowledge, experience, and success in matters related to Branding, Marketing, Events, Training, and Education. Her expertise will be invaluable as she works to strategically guide these important initiatives.”

Auerbach is an industry leader who is set to blaze a trail at Excell and Nissco. She joined the buying groups in 2010 and has held progressive roles in sales, events, education, and marketing.

Calvin Johnston Joins Excell & Nissco Buying Groups as Vice President of Business Development

DENVER, CO – January 2, 2023 The Excell and Nissco buying groups welcome industry veteran, Calvin Johnston as Vice President of Business Development.

 

Calvin is a leadership professional, with over two decades of experience within the food service equipment and supplies industry.

 

“We are excited to welcome Calvin to the team,” states Mike Jewett, CEO. Calvin is a results-oriented, passionate, and well-respected individual in the industry. He brings not only a wealth of industry knowledge but a genuine love for the foodservice industry and its people.”


Most recently, Calvin served as Vice President of Service Operations for Horizon Bradco (a Smart Care Company) conducting sales and service in 17 states along the eastern seaboard. Calvin’s industry experience is extensive well-beyond Horizon Bradco including Service Operations Manager for ISI (a Trimark Company), and 16 years of progressive roles within Hobart (an ITW Company). Prior to entering the world of FE&S, Calvin served 6 years in the U.S. Army National Guard.

 

“Calvin is a man of exceptional character, and we are very fortunate to welcome him to the Excell/Nissco Team,” says Mike Jewett.  “Calvin will focus on onboarding new dealers and fostering relationships with existing dealers. He will work closely with Devyn Kelly and Mariko Sakurai to develop Vendor programs to best serve the current and future needs of our dealer partners.”

 

Johnston’s role is responsible for delivering a positive member experience throughout their journey within the Excell and Nissco buying groups. He serves a critical role - enabling and driving growth through enhanced experiences for members.


 

Excell & Nissco Buying Groups Promote Devyn Kelly to Director of Business Development

DENVER, CO – September 5, 2022 – Excell and Nissco buying groups promoted Devyn Kelly to Director of Business Development.

Kelly joined the buying groups in 2021 as Business Development Manager. With over a decade of experience in foodservice industry buying groups, Kelly will foster valued relationships with Dealer and Vendor partners.

“Vendor and Dealer partnerships are paramount to our success at Excell and Nissco. In fact, they are the reason we exist. Devyn’s experience, industry expertise, and passion for personally connecting with industry partners are a perfect fit for moving our members and their businesses forward. In the short time I have worked with Devyn, I have been very impressed. Our members couldn’t ask for a better advocate,” states Mike Jewett, CEO of Excell and Nissco.

In this position, Kelly will manage relationships with new and existing vendors and dealers across the organization, negotiate contracts, and assist with strategy execution to help ensure dealers are making the most beneficial purchasing decisions. Additionally, Kelly will lead the supply chain initiative with the group’s consulting partner, Maine Pointe, developing solutions to the benefit of the groups’ vendor and dealer partners.

Mike Jewett went on to say, “Optimizing our organizational structure to best serve our members is critical. We will continue to look at what we do, how we do it, why we do it that way, and ensure the right people are in the right roles. We intend to promote from within as appropriate and add top talent from outside the organization as needed. Devyn’s promotion is just one of many exciting organizational changes.”

 

Excell & Nissco Name New CEO

DENVER, CO – August 29, 2022Excell and Nissco buying groups named industry veteran, Mike Jewett to CEO, effective August 29. The announcement was made by the groups’ Leadership Team.

Board of Directors member and former CEO, Randy Brunschwig shares “I am excited to welcome Mike as the new leader of this dynamic organization. We performed an extensive search to fill the CEO position. Our focus was to find someone who brings energy, focus, and new thinking to the organization as we evolve to meet the needs of our members. Mike has extensive experience within our industry, brings an award-winning attitude, and is someone who will connect with our members in exciting, new ways, offering them exactly what they need to succeed.”

Mike will work directly with the Excell and Nissco teams, dealers, and suppliers to create long-term success strategies, execute growth initiatives, and drive operational excellence through customer service - reinforcing our strong position as industry-leading buying groups.

Brunschwig also shares, “I want to thank CFO Andrew Meyer (Interim CEO) for his leadership during this transition. Additionally, I want to thank our team who worked tirelessly to make this period in our company’s history a successful and seamless transition. We made significant strides in advancing our strategic initiatives and positioning the group for future growth. I look forward to working with Andrew and our new CEO Mike Jewett as an active board member and advisor to the team.”

Andrew Meyer reiterates that “over the past several months, our team has done an amazing job engaging with our dealer and supplier partners to identify innovative ways to service our members. These efforts are further accelerated with Mike Jewett joining the team. He will bring a fresh perspective to our organization that will allow us to maximize the potential of the group with the primary goal of becoming Stronger Together.”

Mike brings over 25 years of industry experience and leadership to his new role. While Mike's experience is extensive, his formative years and longest tenure were spent with ITW/Hobart as the Central U.S. Regional Director, managing over $80M in revenue.

In addition, he filled the role of Vice President Service Operations for TriMark-Strategic, where he introduced strategic growth initiatives, oversaw the implementation of a state-of-the-art service ERP system, and streamlined processes to improve overall operations.

As the CEO of Horizon Bradco, a dedicated sales, service, and supplies organization focused on the commercial foodservice equipment industry, he unified a struggling business by driving customer success and accountability to every level of the organization and revamped the culture around the virtue of Integrity.

Most recently Mike served as the Vice President of Global Service for Spectris plc, a London-based company specializing in high-tech instrumentation, test equipment and software for the world's most technically demanding industrial applications. At Spectris, Mike was charged with overhauling their aftermarket global service offering to drive long-term success.

Mike has a deep-rooted passion for the commercial foodservice equipment industry and the value it brings to millions of people across the world. His deep experience, strength at forging relationships, and ability to develop profitable growth for the companies he has led, along with their customers, is established and well-known.

Mike and his family will be relocating from Dallas, Texas to Denver, Colorado in the near future. Mike recently shared his excitement stating that he is, "elated for the opportunity to join the Excell and Nissco team as CEO. With nearly three decades of experience in all facets of commercial foodservice equipment and supplies, I am ready to support our team members to best serve our dealer and supplier partners."