— By Tom Dawson — The true cost of a roof leak. When most businesses think about the cost of a roof leak, they typically focus on the expense associated with the roofing contractor who comes out and fixes the roof. However, leading brands are beginning to look deeper — quantifying the impact of roof leaks to your organization is not just an issue for the facilities team, but is a challenge that impacts culture, operations and guest experience. For hospitality groups like Brinker International, the impact of a roof …
vendors
Addison, Ill. — Parts Town, a technology innovator and distributor of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) foodservice parts, HVAC parts and residential appliance parts, has named the 10 final recipients of its 2025 Technician Scholarship Award program at this year’s Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA) Annual Conference. CFESA is the leading trade association dedicated to advancing the commercial food equipment service industry through training, advocacy and professional development. Since the launch of the program in 2022, Parts Town has awarded more than $85,000 in scholarships, including more than $22,000 in …
Saginaw, Mich. — Duro-Last, a member of the Amrize family of brands and a leading manufacturer of custom-fabricated single-ply roofing systems, celebrated a major milestone in late October with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its eighth manufacturing facility in North America. The 103,000-square-foot Kernersville, N.C., facility produces Duro-Last custom-fabricated membrane as well as custom accessories and edge details for thermoplastic single-ply commercial roofing installations. Highlights included a contractor-focused vendor showcase, plant tours and a ribbon-cutting ceremony that underscored Duro-Last’s ongoing commitment to innovation, quality and customer success. “The …
— By Scott Thomas — Improving security and the customer experience. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been discussed in the physical security industry for years and offers strong potential for retail security automation and management. It may be surprising to discover that many retailers already use some form of AI in their security technologies. Analytics engines process massive amounts of data, such as images, text or numbers — using AI algorithms to produce actionable insights. For example, analytics can automatically flag vehicles linked to previous incidents upon arrival and streamline the …
San Antonio — Rackspace Technology®, a leading end-to-end hybrid cloud and AI solutions company, has teamed up with Total Wine & More, America’s Wine Superstore® to advance its digital transformation through a strategic, multi-cloud approach. The retailer adopted two public cloud platforms, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, selecting the best cloud for each of its major technology initiatives. It chose Rackspace to provide flexible, managed support and gained valuable cloud optimization expertise. “We needed a partner who could support our multi-cloud strategy and provide consistent, expert guidance across both Azure …
San Francisco and Sunnyvale, Calif. — Gap Inc. has formed a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud to accelerate its human-centered digitally-enabled technology strategy, with AI powering the company’s plans to reimagine retail across its portfolio of brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta. “AI is redefining what’s possible in retail, and we’re building our future technology roadmap around it,” says Sven Gerjets, chief technology officer at Gap Inc. “We believe this partnership gives us the expertise and speed to bring AI to life across our business, empowering teams, …
Miami — Beyond Oil USA, a food-tech innovator with patented oil purification technology, has formed a strategic partnership with Eazy Grease, a leading used cooking oil recycling company that is currently contracted with more than 6,700 customers. This collaboration delivers an end-to-end solution that transforms restaurant frying oil management from extended use to responsible recycling. The partnership combines Beyond Oil’s FDA-approved filter powder, which extends frying oil life from 2-3 days to 35-45 days, with Eazy Grease’s multi-state collection and recycling services. Together, they’re establishing a new sustainability standard, enabling …
Dollar Tree Selects Legion WFM to Transform Labor Operations, Enhance Associate Experience
Redwood City, Calif. — Legion Technologies, an innovator in workforce management (WFM), is partnering with Dollar Tree, Inc. to deliver enhanced labor optimization and associate engagement to its fleet of stores and distribution centers across North America. “As a retailer with more than 9,000 stores, 18 distribution centers and over 150,000 associates, we needed a next-generation solution that would allow us to better manage our labor budget while increasing associate engagement. Legion’s platform showed us we didn’t have to compromise,” says Jocelyn Konrad, chief of Dollar Tree Stores and enterprise …
Glenview, Ill. — ITW Food Equipment Group has appointed Ray Peden as its new vice president of U.S. FEG dealer sales organization. He will lead the ITW FEG dealer sales team in generating organic growth by providing dealer support and strengthening partner relationships, as well as maintaining a critical focus on key customers. Peden and the sales team will also be responsible for driving growth through their product application expertise across the ITW FEG premium brands, including Hobart, Traulsen, Baxter, Vulcan and Wolf. “We are excited to welcome Ray to …
Los Angeles — Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, is partnering with Dave’s Hot Chicken to launch a drone delivery pilot, a first for the fast-casual leader. The service will debut in Northridge, a Los Angeles suburb, where eligible residents will be able to order Dave’s Hot Chicken through the Dave’s app and receive it directly to their homes via Matternet’s autonomous M2 drones — arriving hot, fresh and fast. “Each day, more than 10 million food deliveries move through our cities in 2-ton cars, …