DSR OF THE MONTH Archive

Dan Cronkhite

May 2013

Dan Cronkhite's Experience as a Meat Cutter Gives Him a Competitive Edge in Foodservice

The center-of-the-plate category is often the most important one for a distributor sales rep (DSR) to sell. The theory is that, if you can be the primary supplier of protein to your customer, then all else will follow. The category is complex and, often, the products are expensive, so expertise counts. It’s Dan Cronkhite’s favorite category and he knows it well. Before joining Troyer Foods 13 years ago, he had been a meat manager for 20 years. As a meat cutter, he became an expert in every aspect of the protein category.

Damon Webb

April 2013

Ben E. Keith's Damon Webb Hits it out of the Park in Houston

Being a distributor sales rep (DSR) at Ben E. Keith Foods (BEK) is the third business incarnation for Damon Webb. It was his first business experience that was the most costly lesson and the one which makes him very happy to be a DSR now. He owned – and lost – a number of convenience stores. Webb says that it was a constant hassle. Calls in the middle of the night would announce a robbery. Payroll taxes were a nightmare. After too many stress-filled years, the venture finally ended in bankruptcy.

Joe Tocco

March 2013

Working in the warehouse gives Joe Tocco a leg up

Joe Tocco is a distributor sales rep (DSR) for his family business in St. Louis, Mo. His dad, Pete Tocco, uncles Anthony Tocco and Pete Guiffrida started the company in a basement 18 years ago. The whole family worked for the business and Joe and his brother rode on the delivery trucks and met customers. “We thought we were important,” he says, but the advantage is that customers have known him since he was a little kid. The business soon moved from the cellar to a distribution center and haz grown steadily ever since.

Frank Cedeno

February 2013

Frank Cedeno wants his customers to make "real" money

All good DSRs help their customers build business but Frank Cedeno takes that concept way beyond the usual. He not only helps with menus and costing, he searches out locations for his customers to open a new concept and conducts preliminary interviews for new hires. Cedeno is a rep for Ben E. Keith Foods’ (BEK) Oklahoma Branch and covers urban Tulsa. His sales were zero when he started at BEK six years ago. He now writes $8.6 million from 40 mostly white-tablecloth customers.

Lisa Lancaster

January 2013

The Tables are Turned for Lisa Lancaster

Lisa Lancaster, a DSR at Wendling’s Food Service, has been on the other side of the foodservice distributor/customer relationship. Her experience as a waitress has given her an edge in selling to restaurants and institutions.

Denny Luellen

December 2012

After 36 Years, Denny Luellen's Customers are Like Family

Denny Luellen started his career literally moving products and now considers product knowledge to be one of his competitive advantages. When he joined Pippin Wholesale in 1972 at the age of 17, he worked part time unloading freight on the dock. In two years, he became a driver. By 1976, he moved into sales and has been a distributor sales rep (DSR) with the company ever since.

Joe Adam

November 2012

Making His Mark in a Foodie Town

“Joe Adam is 100% committed to his customers,” says Tracy Bruce, sales manager at Troyer Foods in Goshen, Ind. “When he says he’ll do something, you can be sure it will get done. This has helped him build great relationships with customers.” Adam has been a DSR (distributor sales rep) for five years. He started with Beasley Food Service in Bloomington and was there for only a few months when the company was acquired by Troyer, where he has been since, staying in the Bloomington market.

George Hill

October 2012

It Helps to Be a Chef When Working with Chefs

George Hill began his career in foodservice as a chef at restaurants in Atlanta and on Cape Cod. This culinary training has made him a better distributor sales rep (DSR), he believes. Having been in their shoes, he can translate the needs of customers into successful solutions.

Tim White

September 2012

Tim White Plans for Growth and Works the Plan

Tim White’s strong suit is prospecting and it’s working. His sales have grown $1.5 million over the past six months. White, who is a DSR at Perkins in Taunton, Mass., now has sales of $6.5 million. He spends a lot of windshield time meeting with customers, as his territory stretches from Metro New York to Boston. As Jack Boyajian, senior vice president of sales, says, “Tim is relentless is his pursuit of customer satisfaction. He’s a tireless prospector.”

Donald Maccini

August 2012

Persistence and Patience are Keys to Being a Successful DSR

Persistence and patience are the key characteristics that are responsible for Donald Maccini’s success as a distributor sales rep (DSR). Persistence comes into play with follow-up. He doesn’t let anything fall through the cracks after meetings with his customers. Patience is required to keep a big-picture view and not get discouraged if things don’t happen immediately.