Electrolux FSE, a major supplier of food services equipment, is forging ahead with new expansion plans in the Middle East with a focus on offering integrated kitchen solutions.
The unit of the Sweden-based Electrolux Group, the world's largest maker of home appliances, has supplied all the major five-star and four-star hotels in the region since it opened here in 1974. "We want to integrate the appliances in the kitchen, about 150 of them in a conventional kitchen, and offer a total integrated solution, rather than being a traditional supplier of food service equipment," says Bertil Andersson, the Dubai-based general manager of Electrolux Professional Middle East He says the company is working with distributors in opening new showrooms in the region. Electrolux FSE's largest market in the region is Saudi Arabia followed by Egypt, the UAE and Jordan. The new showrooms will help boost market share and add to the company's expanding order book, he says. The company recently held a world convention in Milan, Italy, where more than 200 company executives and distributors discussed new culinary trends with chefs and F&B people from hotel chains and hotel schools. Entitled "Building the Future", the convention also presented a preview of its tech prowess with a new generation of futuristic appliances that will be an indispensable feature of a new generation of smart kitchens.