HotelsMag July-August 2016 | Page 63

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RAK ' S U . S . SUBSIDIARY ADDS TO SALES TEAM

RAK Porcelain U . S . Central Sales Manager Grace Oliversen
Grace Oliversen and Pete Dukas have been brought on as sales managers of RAK Porcelain U . S . Central and Southeast districts , respectively . Since its establishment in January , RAK ' s North American subsidiary has been expanding its product range , increasing inventories and bolstering its sales team .
Oliversen was the lead account manager for the Edward Don account at Libbey , while Dukas previously held senior management positions with Govino , Dudson China and Cardinal Gassware .
WMF PARTNERS WITH AIDA
WMF ' s espresso beverages are now available to passengers on the AIDAcara , the first ship in the AIDA cruise fleet .
The ship ' s redesigned pool bar features a WMF espresso portafilter machine , the first in a new era of machines that offer the flair of traditional barista fashion while producing exceptional coffee in a speedy , stable manner , without the barista .
" We pay close attention to all aspects of premium quality and further refine it with a loving eye for detail ," says AIDA Hotel and Guest Services Director Marc Spingler . " WMF espresso creations emphasize this promise perfectly ."
Blanco Professional Group COO Michael Huber ( l .) and CEO Roland Spleise
BLANCO SEES FURTHER SUCCESS
Blanco Professional Group ' s sales grew 1.1 % in 2015 to € 115 million ( US $ 129.7 million ), with exports remaining stable at 40 %. The kitchen systems supplier says its four business units — catering , medical , industrial and railway — have optimized their products and have either finalized or are finalizing several international sales agreements .
All this has helped make Blanco what CEO Roland Spleiss calls " a successful European manufacturer of industrial and capital goods , which is well on the way to becoming a globally successful solution provider with strong roots in the German SME sector ."
FIRA DE BARCELONA LAUNCHES HOSTELCUBA
In May , Fira de Barcelona became the first foreign trade fair operator in Cuba with the first of its four new exhibitions in the country , HostelCuba , the International Restaurant , Hotel and Equipment Exhibition .
Held in Havana , the exhibition had 52 exhibitors from 11 countries , as well as some 60 government bodies and institutions from Cuba , which are the main buyers and importers on the island .
Given Cuba ' s recent opening to foreign business , the fair ' s more than 200 meetings were an excellent opportunity for hospitality service and equipment suppliers to establish themselves in the country .
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