Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai

Hatco Corporation, an international manufacturer and exporter of food service equipment, has been experiencing maximum growth from the hotel segment in India, with close to 70 per of its products going to hotels. Speaking on the sidelines of the training programme organised by Hatco Corporation in Mumbai recently, Brad Stoeckel, CFSP, territory sales manager, Hatco Corporation, stated, “We see the biggest growth or the largest amount of business coming in from the hotel segment since it is the largest market in India.” Bill Izbicki, sales manager – the Middle East and Indian sub-continent, H D Sheldon & Company, which serves as a factory export representative for Hatco Corporation, added, “This is also because of the emphasis on buffets. Also hotels are given tax advantage on imports by the government. Hotels can import tax free from the US with their special license. Hence our business is lop-sided towards hotels.” During the training session, the company launched new products including the Refrigerated Drop-In Wells to match up with the Heated Wells. The company is also open to increasing its distribution network in India which is presently spread across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. “We are looking for new distribution partners and will happily support those who not only have the ability to import but also the ability to install and service and a willingness to hold some stock,” opined Izbicki.

Hatco Corporation made a strong push in the India market 10 years ago. “We have our factory in China where a suitable economy line of products are manufactured and then stocked in Hong Kong. This has been quite helpful in penetrating into the India market with certain portions of that line. For instance, the Toast-Max series has made significant penetration into the market as a result of having that regional advantage,” said Izbicki. Hatco Corporation’s largest export market is Europe with India (as part of the Middle East) being in the third position. “We want to be in India in the development years so that we have a strong brand presence. The growth is quite conservative at the moment with four-five per cent/ annum, but in future there will be greater growth opportunities,” stated Izbicki.