CFESA: THE EARLY YEARS

In 1963, the Commercial Food Equipment Service Agencies of America (CFESA) was headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The first meeting of CFESA’s Board of Directors was held on May 18, 1963, at the Tides Inn Motel, Chicago, Illinois. The association accepted William Eichenauer and Pete Di Pirro as the first new members and designated them as charter members along with incorporator status. The incorporators were: Philip Schoenberger, President; Jackson Hudgins, First Vice President; Elmer Schultz, Second Vice President; Ruth Lippert, Secretary; Spark Dixon, Treasurer; Peter Di Pirro, Vice President of Region 1; Otto McComb, Vice President of Region 2; Norman Blake, Vice President of Region 3; Michael Brino, Vice President of Region 4; Denton Lintz; along with other incorporators John Shea, Rudolph Dauber and Benjamin Hibbel. The meetings were held on a quarterly basis. The association set the initial dues structure at $100.00 per member and by the end of 1963 CFESA had 22 members.

CFESA’s very first members were: Ruth Lippert, Lippert Electric Company; Otto McComb, Mid-West Appliance Service; Jack Hudgins, Old Dominion Services; Elmer Schultz, Elmer Schultz, Inc.; Philip Schoenberger, Utilities Maintenance Service; J.E. Whitley, Whitley Electric Service; Douglas Winning, Winning Sheet Metal; John Campbell, Campbell Appliance Company; Robert Hamers, Commercial Kitchen Repair Company; George Racklyeft, E&G; Refrigeration; John Shea, Ace Service Company; Nathan Uretsky, Acme American Repairs, Inc; Thomas Lawrence, American Kitchen Machine Company; Rudy Daubers, Carl W. Daubers and Sons; Pete De Pirro, Pete De Pirro Company; William Eichenauer, Eichenauer Electric Service; Denton Lintz, Electric Repair Company; Norman Blake, Electric Motor Repair; John O’Shaughnessy, Equipment Service Company; Benjamin Hibble; Hibble Electric Services, Inc; Spark Dixon, K&D; Service Company; and Joseph Scheck, Kaemmerlen Electric Company.

In 1963, the National Appliance Service Association (NASA) proposed a merger with CFESA. However, after further review CFESA members decided they would maintain their autonomy and advised NASA of this decision. NASA introduced this proposal again in 1968, with the same results.

The first trade show that CFESA participated in was the New York Hotel and Motel Show (NYH&MS); in November 1963. The booth space was complimentary and was manned by the Board of Directors in 2-3 hour shifts.

In November 1964, the Board of Directors abandoned quarterly meetings and adopted a bi-annual meeting format. CFESA held meetings in May in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) convention and in November in conjunction with the New York Hotel & Motel Show, in Chicago and New York respectively. At this meeting, Board Members discussed a “training program for maintenance mechanics for commercial food equipment” and agreed to research this project. It was at this meeting, that Board Members introduced warranty report forms for CFESA members.

At the May 1970 meeting, Board Members selected Marvin Lurie as the Association’s Executive Director. Until this time, CFESA had no Executive Director.  The Board of Directors and voting members guided the organization through its early years.

FOUNDERS & CHARTER MEMBERS

A special note of thanks to the following founders and charter members who had the foresight and commitment to establish CFESA:

Rudy Dauber Dauber & Sons
Washington, D.C.

William T. Eichenauer Eichenauer Services Inc
Decatur, Illinois

Harry R. Kauffman Electric Motor Repair Company – Baltimore, Maryland

Otho E. McComb Midwest Appliance Service
Columbus, Ohio

Elmer O. Schultz Elmer Schultz Services Inc
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Peter Di Pirro Pete Di Pirro Company
Boston, Massachusetts

Benjamin Hibble Hibble Electric
Hartford, Connecticut

Denton T. Lintz Electric Repair
Reading, Pennsylvania

Philip Schoenberger Utilities Maintenance
Detroit, Michigan

Nathan Uretsky Acme American Repair
New York City, New York

Spark L. Dixon K & D Service Company
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Jack C. Hudgins Old Dominion Service
Norfolk, Virginia

Ruth Lippert Lippert Appliance Service
Cincinnati, Ohio

John J. Shea Ace Service Company
Boston, Massachusetts

PAST PRESIDENTS

PHILIP SCHOENBERGER 1963-1965
Utilities Maintenance, – Detroit, MI
WILLIAM T. EICHENAUER, L 1969-1971
Eichenauer Services Inc, – Decatur, IL
JOHN F. O’SHAUGHNESSY, JR. 1975-1977
General Parts Inc, Bloomington, MN
L.G. (PAT) PATRICK 1981-1983
Commercial Appliance Service, –  Tampa, FL
BILL MALLON, JR. 1987-1989
Elmer Schultz Services Inc,  – Philadelphia, PA
GARY ALLEN 1993-1995
Commercial Parts & Service Inc, – Indianapolis, IN
RON CANESTRO 1998-2000
A.I.S. Corporation,  – Buffalo, NY
TINA REESE 2004-2006
Commercial Appliance Parts & Service, – Tampa, FL
SCOTT HESTER 2010-2012
Refridgerated Specialist Inc. – Dallas, TX
GARY POTVIN 2016-2018
Pinetree Food Equipment, Inc. – Gray, ME
JACKSON G. HUDGINS 1965-1967
Old Dominion Services, – Norfolk, VA
ELMER SCHULTZ 1971-1973
Elmer Schultz Services Inc, – Philadelphia, PA
ROBERT L. BRADFORD, JR. 1977-1979
EMR Service, Baltimore, MD
WILLIAM T. EICHENAUER 1983-1985
Eichenauer Services Inc, –  Decatur, IL
FREDERICK KRUEGER 1989-1991
Krueger Inc,  – Oklahoma City, OK
ROGER MARTIN 1995-1997
Stove Parts Supply Company Inc, – Ft. Worth, TX
SHARON BARASCH 2000-2002
Certified Service Center,  – Cincinnati, OH
JEAN CHOQUETTE 2006-2008
Key Food Equipment Services Ltd, – Burnaby, BC, CA

JOE PIERCE 2012-2014
Pierce Parts and Service, Inc. – Atlanta, GA

JOHN SCHWINDT 2018-2020
Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service Inc.

ELMER SCHULTZ 1967-1969
Elmer Schultz Services Inc, – Philadelphia, PA
HOMER ALLEN 1973-1975
Commercial Parts & Service Inc, – Indianapolis, IN
JOSEPH G. PALUMBO 1979-1981
Authorized Factory Service Inc, – Coraopolis, PA
PAUL O’NEIL 1985-1987
Golden State Service and Parts Inc, – Gardena, CA
FRANK BURNS 1991-1993
J.L. Tucker Company Inc, – Omaha, NE
BRUCE HODGE 1997-1998
General Parts Inc, – Waukesha, WI
ROGER KAUFFMAN 2002-2004
EMR Service, – Baltimore, MD
JOHN SWANSON 2008-2010
Bildon Appliance Parts and Service Inc, – Livonia, MI
PAUL TOUKATLY 2014-2016
Duffy’s Equipment Services – Sauquoit NY

KIRBY MALLON 2020-2022
Elmer Schultz Services Inc, – Philadelphia, PA