Permul is proud to announce that Hoshizaki America, a partner for over 35 years, has invited Stephanie to speak today about her experiences in the foodservice industry, and how companies can better engage a more diverse and younger generation into the industry. 

As Stephanie is at Hoshizaki, in Peachtree City, GA, we thought it would be a great opportunity to conduct a phone interview to see what new and exciting products are being discussed at their Headquarters. 

Interviewer: First, congratulations on being asked to give a presentation on diversity and leadership at Hoshizaki.

Stephanie: “Thank you. It is a great honour, and I am looking forward to this afternoon.”

Question: I’ve noticed that we are starting to see a lot of non-ice products being marketed by Hoshizaki. What’s going on there?

Stephanie: “We are so proud to have been a part of introducing Hoshizaki to North America for the past 35 years. The engineering and sophistication were totally new to Canada and over the past three decades we have proven to be the best in the ice category. But Hoshizaki, globally, is more than just ice machines. They are actually one of the top refrigeration manufacturers in the world – and its time to share this strength with Canada.”

Question: Absolutely! So what is the difference then between ‘economy’, ‘imported’ and ‘spec series’ and where does the Hoshizaki Steelheart series fit?

Stephanie: “The lines have blurred over the years on what makes a unit more or less durable or ‘high end’. Stainless steel interiors used to only be available on spec series units and they were very expensive. Now, you see stainless steel as a standard option, but not necessarily the same gauge or strength of stainless steel. In order to get a front-breathing unit or accessories like bun pan slides or pass-through configurations, you had to go to the top of the line units. Hoshizaki has brought these features into our standard and affordable Steelheart series, along with energy efficient R290 refrigerant. The stainless steel units are all built in the USA at a facility that puts a major emphasis on clean manufacturing and a quality work environment.”

Question: When someone needs a fridge or a freezer they usually just go with what is quickly available through the dealer and the most affordable option to them. How do they buy Hoshizaki refrigeration and is it priced competitively?

Stephanie: “PERMUL limited is a distributor. We believe is supporting our dealers with readily available inventory. This helps them to keep their overhead low and to pass on the best pricing to the customer. If you’d like to buy Hoshizaki, just let them know! If they don’t have a unit on their floor for you to see, just come to our test kitchen in Mississauga, or ask us if we have existing customers in your area. We make every effort to be priced competitively. We are happy to walk you through why investing in Hoshizaki will pay off with a better functioning unit, lower energy consumption and local parts and service support.”

Question: Ok, thank you for your time Stephanie. And good luck this afternoon!