As attendees prepare for this year’s National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, one of the exhibiting company’s CEO took a few minutes to discuss with us their plans for the 2019 show and their insights into the U.S. foodservice and hospitality market. This year looks on track to be one of the biggest, and most well attended, NRA shows on record—as the event celebrates its centennial anniversary.
Barry Mancell CEO of FLAT Tech took the helm for the company late in 2018. Located in Chicago and originating in Sydney Australia, FLAT Tech manufactures innovative solutions for two of the oldest problems in the restaurant and hospitality industry—wobbly and misaligned tables.
What sets the FLAT Tech line of table bases and replacement table feet apart is their patented hydraulic technology that allows tables to be quickly stabilized and aligned. FLAT’s range of award-winning FLAT Table Bases, stabilize instantly and automatically; whereas FLAT Equalizers (FLAT’s solution for fixing existing wobbly tables) replace a table’s existing screw-in feet and stabilize it following a light press on the tabletop. With that in mind, wobbly tables caused by uneven surfaces can now be a thing of the past.
In 2018, FLAT Equalizers received a Kitchen Innovations 2018 Award presented by the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show”. We asked Barry about his goals for the NRA Show this year. He says, “The NRA Show is the most important show of the year for FLAT Tech’s North American business plans. It gives us an unparalleled opportunity to meet with existing partners and new customers as well, both domestic contacts and global partners attend.”
When asked what this year’s attendees can expect from the NRA Show event, Barry says, “We will have an entirely redesigned exhibit space at this year’s show. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with my team and I and see first-hand how different and effective FLAT Tech products are at solving wobbly and misaligned tables. We still get that wow factor from customers at our booth every time they see our products in action.” Mancell continues, “FLAT Tech has always been about building sincere relationships with all our customers, and the NRA Show gives us the opportunity to meet face-to-face with people and discuss their opportunities and how we can partner with them. Those kinds of relationships are what has set FLAT Tech apart from other companies and gives us and our partners the ability to work with some of the largest brands on the planet.”
We asked Barry how the U.S. market has been different from other markets FLAT Tech operates in. He says, “The U.S. model is unique, and is not replicated in any other global market that FLAT currently sells into. Personal relationships are extremely strong and loyal within the U.S. market, and we’ve aligned ourselves with appropriate partners to ensure we meet our growth goals. This market has some of the most well organized distribution and dealer networks that provide direct access to a large number of chains and restaurants.”
When we asked Barry what the best way for restaurant owners and operators to connect with the FLAT Tech team he said, “Come by the FLAT Tech booth 3088 for sure if you are attending the NRA Show this year, we will all be there and ready to answer any questions and give you a personal demonstration. Aside from that, you can contact our team directly at 855 999-3528, or visit our website. We are always ready to meet with new and existing customers and share the best solutions to the industry’s oldest problems.”
