Food and beverage material handling equipment is vital to any company operating within the strict confines of the highly regulated food service industry. You might be catering an international function and have to prepare and transport enough food to serve thousands. Or, your company produces a best-selling carbonated beverage and needs an updated conveyor system. Even if you've just opened a corner deli that must comply with local health department food handling ordinances, you're going to need professional restaurant material handling products.

As a food service professional, you overemphasize to your staff that food and beverages must be stored, prepared and held in the proper places and at just the right temperature. That's why your first step should be to locate a food and beverage handling professional that can supply you with products made according to industry standards. Food and beverage handling equipment takes many different forms:

1. Contact bakery equipment professionals to help you determine your food handling needs.

2. Count on a reputable beverage handling equipment manufacturer for your specialized beverage products.

3. Prepare, store and display your products with commercial grade food material handling equipment.

4. Consider buying used food and beverage handling equipment to defray operating costs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find high-performing food handling equipment for your commercial bakery

There's no other way to meet your customers' demands than to invest in commercial dough and bakery packaging systems. You need bakery trays, dollies and wheelers for shipping your baked goods and then portable shelving for displaying them within supermarkets.

I recommend: AMF Bakery Systems has been a leading supplier of high-quality bakery equipment worldwide since 1915. AMF maintains a service support staff that can assist you with finding the right equipment and parts and operating and maintaining the equipment you buy. Fred D. Pfening Company serves the baking industry with proof boxes, fermentation rooms and venting systems. Drader Manufacturing has provided bakery and delivery trays and transport tools to the baking industry since the 1960's.

Benefit from the experience you get with a professional beverage handling equipment supplier

Your beverage manufacturing or distribution plant needs unique beverage handling equipment from a company that focuses on the total life care its products can offer.

I recommend: Liquid Packaging Solutions, Inc. manufactures, installs and services a complete line of beverage handling equipment, from bottle rinsers to cooling conveyors, and serves many Fortune 500 companies. Taprite-Fassco Mfg., Inc., used by McDonald's and Coca-Cola, makes and sells a full line of carbonated beverage dispensing products, such as regulators, CO2 storage racks and ice chests. Beverage trays and crates by Casemaker Inc. safely transport for your finished beverage products.

Follow industry standards by purchasing needed food handling equipment

Comply with local and state health department food service guidelines, which specify how food is stored and displayed. Determine if your sandwich shop needs colorful crocks for its deli display case, or your food manufacturing plant needs ingredient bins, food boxes, measuring cups and scoops.

I recommend: Cambro Manufacturing Company is a leader in food service trays, table service products, display and shelving items, storage, merchandising and insulated transport of foods. Food service equipment expert BevLes Company makes restaurant material handling products, such as heated holding cabinets, proofing cabinets, transport and service, racks, dollies and stands.

Cut costs by purchasing used food and beverage material handling equipment

When food and beverage companies are going out of business or relocating, they frequently sell their equipment to used equipment dealers.

I recommend: Campbell Soup Asset Recovery Department resells surplus assets, such as food material handling equipment. Team Marketing Services has been selling used food handling and processing equipment for more than 40 years.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consult a food engineering specialist before buying new or used food and beverage materials. You'll need assistance in determining your plant's capacity (is it 20 gallons or 2,000 gallons per week?) and then in analyzing operating costs and your products' market appeal.