David Arias, San Antonio Service Technician at Commercial Kitchen Parts & Service.

Starting Out as an Installer for the Installation Division four years ago, this past September, David Arias currently works as a Service Technician for the San Antonio Branch. Throughout his years working as an Installer, David developed a desire to advance to a Service Technician. In the beginning of 2018, Commercial Kitchen was awarded a large project refurbishing over 100 Rational Combi Ovens. David was involved in this project where he assisted the Service Technician the project was assigned to. Having part in this large project really helped solidify David’s drive to accomplish his goal of becoming a Service Technician. Here at Commercial Kitchen we have always made it clear to our employees if they have the drive and the willingness to learn we can provide the help to advance their career.

One avenue is through Commercial Kitchen University, a 12 week in-house training program. David applied for the opportunity to attend the training class and was accepted. Over that 12 week period David learned the basic fundamentals of electric, gas, and steam. He also learned trouble shooting skills along with soft skills training. Shortly after successfully completing the program, David was sent to Chicago for training on Rational Combi Ovens. He is now a Certified Rational Technician and services that equipment on a regular basis. His next goal is to complete all three CFESA Certifications to become a Master Technician.

David’s day to day work in the field is anything but routine or repetitive. Each service call presents new challenges for him to apply his newly learned skills. Those challenges can only lead to improvement, and improvement is the name of the game. There is no end to David’s opportunity for continued learning. There is always a new piece of equipment introduced into the market to learn about and one on the drawing board.

David offers thanks to Commercial Kitchen for providing him with so many opportunities to improve not only his earning potential for life, but also his personal and family life as well. He describes the company as very friendly and tight-knit, not only the personable employees but also the owner himself.

Keeping a restaurant kitchen operating smoothly can be a difficult task. It’s made even more difficult when you have a failure on a critical piece of equipment. Regular maintenance is essential to keeping your equipment running at peak performance. For more information about Commercial Kitchen and what they can do for you and your business, contact 800-292-2120 or service@commercialkitchen.com.

Charles Moreland, CFESA Master Technician.

ANYONE WHO has ever worked in the restaurant industry knows how vital equipment can be. Whether it’s the oven systems, refrigeration systems, or any of the utilities that supply the equipment (gas, steam, water, electrical lines, etc.). When one of them breaks down, it can throw a significant roadblock in a kitchen operation. Companies like Commercial Kitchen operate specifically to remove those roadblocks by repairing and maintaining the equipment.

One of the employees at Commercial Kitchen working hard to keep the equipment running for their customers is Charles Moreland, a CFESA Master Technician in electric, gas, steam and refrigeration. In 2001, Charles came across a simple ad in the newspaper for a job that “paid to train.” He applied and was accepted into the first class of Commercial Kitchen University (CKU), the internal company training program. Having worked in welding and as a machinist, Charles had a strong mechanical background already. That background was supported by training provided by Commercial Kitchen and Vidal Muñoz, his teacher in electrical, gas, and steam.

From there, the rest is history. Charles, like many others in the company started without a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of the food service industry and is now a master of the trade. For years, he applied that knowledge through the day-to-day work of helping install, repair and maintain equipment.

Now, Charles has two roles in the company. When Charles isn’t teaching at Commercial Kitchen University (CKU), he is dealing with day-to-day jobs and the challenges that they present. CKU provides Charles the opportunity to keep his trade alive and teach others while keeping his own knowledge of the industry strong. Charles, like every employee at Commercial Kitchen, offers his thanks to the people in the company who helped him achieve his success: Brock W. Coleman, the CEO of the company; Vidal Muñoz, who helped provide Charles with training and a strong knowledge of the fundamentals; and David Duckworth, for letting Charles operate under his own methods while trusting that he always has the best interests of the company in mind.

Is your restaurant plagued by mechanical issues in the back of the house? Even the best chefs and the best ingredients can’t make up for an oven that won’t work or a faulty cooling system. For more information about Commercial Kitchen and what they can do for you and your business, contact 800-292-2120 or service@commercialkitchen.com.

Sergio Alpizar, San Antonio Field Service Supervisor at Commercial Kitchen Parts & Service.

Starting out as a Commercial Kitchen shop helper almost eleven years ago this April, Sergio Alpizar currently works as a Field Service Supervisor. As with many other employees, it is not simply the work itself but also Commercial Kitchen’s work culture that inspires Sergio to better himself and work more diligently for his clients and customers. This inspiring work culture provides Sergio with a way to improve aspects of his life not only within the company but also outside of the company as well.

After a year of working as a shop helper, moving things around and sweeping up shop floors, Sergio was ready for something different. The Branch Manager at the time gave him the opportunity to begin training with the technicians and, soon, Sergio had enough knowledge and experience to become a service technician himself. Like many other employees, Sergio was provided with plenty of opportunities to advance his position within the company. Eventually, he earned enough certifications to be classified as a Master Service Technician.

From there, Sergio began to work on high-end equipment. This eventually became his specialty. Even as a Master Service Technician, however, there is still plenty to learn. Sergio does not shy away from tackling new tasks and learning new skills that will help the company and his customers. Like many of the technicians who work at Commercial Kitchen, Sergio works with clients and on jobs that fit into his specialty niche. This allows technicians to give the best level of service to their clients and has helped Commercial Kitchen maintain its stellar reputation within the community.

Along Sergio’s career path, his managers and co-workers have acted as mentors, providing Sergio with advice and helping him transition to new positions. This company wide mentoring and transitioning assistance allows anyone at Commercial Kitchen to grow and learn from fellow employees, a system which benefits not only the company but also the clients that the employees work with.

In particular, Sergio credits Brock W. Coleman, the owner of the company, with being a huge influence. He recalls a time when he asked Brock if he had five minutes to talk, to which Brock replied, “My time is your time.” Brock is not like the owners of many large companies, acting more as a friend than a boss and having an open-door policy which welcomes employees to visit and chat with him at any time about any issues they are having. Brock not only gives employees advice but he is also very hands on within the company.

Commercial Kitchen provides high-quality maintenance, repair, and installation services for kitchen equipment. For more information about Commercial Kitchen and what they can do for you and your business, contact 800-292-2120 or service@commercialkitchen.com.