Superior Equipment & Supply Co.
4550 S. Brust Ave., St. Francis • www.superiorequipmentsupply.com
Year Founded: 1984
Product or Service Offered: Equipment, services and value that every food service operation needs to be successful. Superior Equipment sells supermarket and restaurant equipment, including commercial dishwashers, deep fryers and furniture, to businesses and institutions that are starting up or remodeling.
CEO: Sammy Mahmood
Vice President of Sales: Mike Mahmood
Projected 2016 Revenue: $10 million
Target Clientele: Regional and national multi-unit operators, school systems, hospitals, assisted living facilities, hotels, government and supermarkets throughout the U.S.
What has fueled your company’s growth?
“A key element that has fueled our company’s growth is trusting our gut, but paying attention to business indicators. Our gut instinct is a great catalyst for growth, but we don’t rely on it alone. Instead, we look to your business reports to assess growth opportunities. Indicators to consider include: sales pipeline, sales conversion ratios, product profitability and market trends.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth?
“Cash flow is one of the biggest obstacles impacting growth for the company. Expansion requires investment – inventory, marketing, new hire recruitment, etc. If the balance and timing of the cash in and out of your business isn’t optimized, then staying on top of your expenses can quickly get tricky.”
Who are the business people you admire and why?
“I have a deep admiration for Sir Richard Branson’s tenacity, and I admire his personal brand. I’ve been drawn to his amazing business sense, thirst for adventure, and desire to give back to the world. The combination of those characteristics is both rare and appealing. He has taught me four lessons that have helped guide and inspire me, including: live in the moment, have fun, give back and don’t ever give up.”
What is the outlook for your industry?
“Market research publisher SBI reports that the global food service equipment industry is worth $20 billion and is expected to grow. From the company’s location in Milwaukee, Superior has direct access to both the Milwaukee and Chicago metropolitan areas. The market for the company’s services largely depends on economic factors that affect the population as well as the growth of food retailers and food service companies in each area. There are more than 15,000 foodservice businesses operating in Wisconsin, and the industry in Wisconsin generated $7.3 billion in sales in 2011. Chicago has the second largest restaurant industry in the U.S. and restaurant job growth has outpaced all other sectors over the last decade.”
What is your company’s most important growth strategy?
“Our company’s most important growth strategy is to have the right leaders for our growth. We found that leadership quality is critical to our growth, that our first task is to hire high-quality executives, and that certain competencies are more important to some growth strategies than to others. It takes a mix of leaders and talent to pursue a variety of growth strategies simultaneously.”
