Winston Industries is a leader in the world of foodservice equipment, and the School Nutrition Foundation is proud of our long-standing partnership with this wonderful company. As those of you who have worked with Winston in the past know, they are fully dedicated to their work with school nutrition foodservice. If you have Winston equipment in your kitchen, you probably have a Winston rep on speed dial, ready to help you in any way they can. According to Corey Ainsworth, district sales executive with Winston Industries, it’s the school nutrition professionals themselves who inspire such loyalty in the Winston sales force. “People can think of sales in general terms, and it’s not always positive,” explained Corey. “The benefit of having school nutrition make up so much of our client base is that we work with people who make a difference daily, all over the country. From taking the burden off parents by feeding kids two meals a day, to taking the burden off students who don’t need to wonder where their next meal will come from while they try to learn—this is the most thoughtful, big-hearted customer base you could ever have. School nutrition professionals make it a pleasure for all of us at Winston; to be able to work with these people, it makes a job more than just a nine-to-five drudge to get through the day.”
For over forty years, Winston Industries has been designing and building top-of-the-line foodservice equipment for kitchens in schools and restaurants all over the world. They are longtime partners of both the School Nutrition Association and the School Nutrition Foundation, providing financial, human, and administrative resources; Winston Industries is an integral part of SNF’s mission to provide our members with greater access to scholarships and grants to help them advance in their careers while making positive, healthy changes in their schools. When we asked about Winston’s commitment to service in the school nutrition arena, Corey Ainsworth told us that it’s as simple as making a difference where and when you can. “Schools are one of our biggest customers, and if you can’t give a little back, what are you doing?” asked Ainsworth, over the telephone. “When we give back we’re furthering child nutrition, which in turn furthers all of us.”
Winston representative Tony Martino gives Warrior Run staffers a demo on their new equipment.
Just last week, we sat down to talk with the 2013 Winston Industries Award Grant winner, Renee Frederick of Warrior Run School District (PA), and we discussed the huge difference the new Winston equipment has made in her kitchen. We also spoke with the Winston representative who was charged with guiding Renee through the process, Tony Martino, on his experience working with the Winston Industries Award Grant winner. “My prior experience is in design,” Martino told us, “I was a designer for twenty years! I went and met with [Renee], as if I were designing her new equipment into the facility. We toured the kitchens, determined what was needed, and chose the equipment that made the most sense for each school.” Once the equipment was installed, and the staff was trained, Martino waited to hear from Frederick with the usual follow-up questions he had come to expect from clients who are learning to use new Winston equipment. “What really sticks in my mind,” recalled Martino, “was that after giving them an overview [Renee’s] staff really took it from there. After I did the start-up, I didn’t get any calls—I never get no calls. I called them, asking, ‘Do you have any problems? Questions?’ but they never did. They were so happy to have something that worked, and they just embraced it and ran with it.”
The School Nutrition Foundation thanks Winston Industries, and looks forward to many years of working together to help advance child nutrition, and the professional development of the foodservice workers who keep our nation’s school cafeterias running, every day.
This year marks the School Nutrition Foundation’s 50th anniversary. Since its founding in 1964, SNF has raised millions of dollars to provide a wide variety of scholarships, grants, research, training opportunities and technical assistance to school nutrition professionals at every level. Learn more about SNF’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, as well as donation and scholarship opportunities.