DeronLichte.com

Meeting with Govenor Bill Haslam and Mayor Karl Dean
Recently, at a political roundtable, Deron met with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, as seen here. Deron was invited to engage in this “meet and greet” with entrepreneurs from across the country; offering insights and engaging in discussions, on what local and state governments can do to create opportunities nationally and foster fair foreign trade policies internationally. Governor Haslam inquired of Mr Lichte his perspective of the working climate in Tennessee as compared to that of Illinois.

Also in attendance was Mayor Karl Dean, of the great city of Nashville, photographed here. Where a topic of discussion included the proposition of a new stadium and the revitalization of East Nashville’s neglected riverfront. This new project promises to turn Nashville’s East Bank into a thriving hub of restaurants and entertainment, affording new opportunities for new jobs by encouraging local entrepreneurship.

Deron Lichte meets with Congressman Peter Roskam
Deron, as seen here in this Photo Op was introduced by a fellow Congressman of Roskam , Representative Donald A. Manzullo, at the Annual Congressional Luncheon, were taxes, National debt, action vs. rhetoric were discussed.

"Americans desperately want and need job creation and a return to fiscal sanity..." Deron stated, as he and Congressman Roskam discussed several issues regarding tax relief for businesses, job creation and innovation, tax and regulation as it relates to the manufacturing industry, and the importance of NAFEM and how 25% of all service industry jobs are Foodservice related.

"We are proud to have, from the State of Illinois, a fiscally responsible individual in such a leadership position on Capitol Hill."

Congressman Peter Roskam, is U.S. Representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district. Currently Congressman Roskam serves as Chief Deputy Whip in the 112th Congress, ranking the congressman among the most influential House leaders.

Article: Community Banks: Small but Mighty
[Seen here in Northwest Business Magazine] Deron Lichte wasn’t happy with his bank in 1995. His personal and business accounts were growing, and he wanted a closer connection to his large, corporate bank. “It became about the paperwork, not the service,” he says. “They were not there to accommodate our growth as a business.” About a year before, he had bought Food Warming Equipment. The Crystal Lake business manufactures food service equipment for global clients that include Disney, the Beijing Olympics and Microsoft. Lichte needed occasional business loans, and guidance managing his growing personal accounts.

“I interviewed about 15 different banks, trying to find the right fit,” says Lichte. “I thought we were too large for Home State Bank [in Crystal Lake], but they proved me wrong. They really helped me out, and it was all from a local bank.” Today, Lichte gladly tells people why he switched to a community bank: It’s because of the hands-on, personal attention he receives from familiar faces. It’s also because he works with bankers who make their own decisions rather than running every loan application through a corporate structure. Nearly 91 percent of all American banks are small, with less than $1 billion in assets. In fact, almost 36 percent of all U.S. banks have fewer than $100 million in assets, according to the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), a lobby group. By comparison, bigger banks like Chase or Bank of America typically hold between $1 billion and $100 billion or more in assets.

Friendly, familiar, reliable and engaged with their community and customers – that’s how America’s 7,000-plus locally owned and operated banks differentiate themselves from large, nationally-owned chain banks. They offer perks for their best customers, but convey an attitude that suggests every client is their best client.

Deron Meets Congressman Manzullo
Deron, as seen in this Photo Op, meets with U.S. Representative for Illinois's 16th congressional district, Don Manzullo, at a luncheon to better understand current congressional topics and pending economic laws. Tabled for discussion with Representative Manzullo, were the new Energy Star proposals that NAFEM finds overbearing, as it relates to the commercial foodservice industry.

In addition to being a major supporter in strengthening manufacturing in America, Congressman Manzullo has met with Deron several times about strongly supporting the export of American goods and the leveling of import duties, tariffs and taxes.

"We are lucky to have such a strong advocate as Manzullo representing our district, who also heads export issues involving trade regulations in Congress." - Deron

Book: Conscientious Equity, By Neal Asbury
[view book cover]“As a small business owner and manufacturer, the issues that Neal discusses in Conscientious Equity have very important implications for any small business. With seventy-five percent of the world’s wealth and ninety-five percent of it's population residing outside the United States, having the same access to foreign markets as foreign manufacturers have to the American market would significantly increase our ability to grow and thus ensure job creation. A world with Conscientious Equity would usher in a new era of prosperity by unshackling the entrepreneurial spirit in all businesses.” —Deron Lichte, President, Food Warming Equipment Co., Inc

[Purchase on Amazon]

Article: Exit Interview with Philip English
[PDF] Listen to this interview
Also joining the Neal Asbury Show was Deron Lichte, vice president and chief operating officer of the Food Warming Equipment Company (FWE), a 50-year old company based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, who weighed in on the tax issue. "Our base is in Illinois, and if Illinois was its own country, we would be the 5th most taxed country in the world. Politicians are out of the touch with today’s small business entrepreneurs and instead of feeding the "goose that lays the golden egg" when it comes to tax and job creation, they are taxing us to death. We may have no other choice than moving our operations to a state without state income taxes," said Lichte.

Article: For 50 years, a commitment to excellence: Food Warming Equipment Company, Inc.
[Link] It was more than 50 years ago that Oren E. Klemm--described by his son Richard Klemm as a "risk taker"--tinkered his way to changing the face of foodservice.

In 1946, the elder Klemm founded a water filtration business in modest beginnings, a garage in suburban Chicago. In the late 1940s he pioneered the "HOT-SERVE" line of Food Warming and Conveying Cabinets that we known throughout the foodservice industry today as Heated Banquet Cabinets. Food Warming Equipment Company, now also known as FWE, marks its 50th anniversary of incorporation in 1953.

"He helped change the whole concept of mass feeding, but did it in an elegant manner," Richard Klemm recalls. "Before Dad, when you went to a banquet, the head table would be finished eating before everyone else had been served their food."

Like father, like son. Since 1972, Richard Klemm has run FWE as chief executive officer and chairman of the board, receiving four patents for his innovations, overseeing a manufacturing plant move as well as several expansions of the manufacturing facility and positioning the company for the next half century.

FWE, based in Crystal Lake, Ill, is an innovator in equipment for rethermalizing, cook-hold and transporting food either hot or cold, as well as portable bars. The company makes close to 500 models, including 68 different types of banquet carts with five unique heat systems, a much larger selection than the nearest competitor. Customers range from fine dining and hotel resorts to casual dining, QSR chain restaurants, schools and universities to the very demanding prison/penitentiary segments--and all operations in between.

Early Breakthroughs

While holding hot food and cold food outside of a kitchen's four walls hardly seems like breakthrough science today, the novelty of FWE's early products cannot be overstated.

In 1954, Clyde Jennings, president of Hotel Elton in Waterbury, Conn., wrote to FWE, "When I purchased one of your Hot-Serve Food Warming Cabinets last year, it was certainly an experiment from my point of view ... The idea of getting 50 to 100 party dishes out of the way before regular luncheon or dinner service began would lessen the work at peak times." He added that the chef was so delighted with the new addition to his kitchen that he actually "caressed" the stainless-steel polish on the equipment and would highly recommend the concept. Richard Klemm remembers less emotional responses to early sales calls. "When we introduced refrigerators or freezers on wheels, customers would ask, 'Why wheels?' It took some time for the concept of portable food cabinets to catch on."

However, soon enough it did. Catering clients, such as North Shore Hotel--now a retirement hotel in Evanston, Ill.--purchased FWE hot holding cabinets for serving banquets in 1954 and 1955. The same equipment is still in use today, 49 years later! Few weddings, banquets, dinners or business lunches are served nationwide--or worldwide, for that matter, without mobile carts that keep food fresh and safe until the plates hit the table. Guests who get their food hot and at the same time as those at the host table have FWE to thank.

Teamwork and Technology

Even businesses that break ground need to continue to evolve, and FWE has done that, while sticking to its five-decade history of teamwork, customer service and value. As the economy has faltered and competition has increased in recent years, FWE has only become more nimble, says Jeff Brown, a foodservice consultant with Miami-based Inman Associates LLC.

"In the last decade, they have become something very special. I recommend their products to clients because other factories are asking, 'How cheap can we make this?' and FWE asks, 'How can we make this better? How can we make the project better?'" Brown says FWE's Crystal Lake, Ill., plant is among the most …

News Bio Contact	Deron Lichte
	Meeting with Govenor Bill Haslam and Mayor Karl Dean Recently, at a political roundtable, Deron met with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, as seen here. Deron was invited to engage in this “meet and greet” with entrepreneurs from across the country; offering insights and engaging in discussions, on what local and state governments can do to create opportunities nationally and foster fair foreign trade policies internationally. Governor Haslam inquired of Mr Lichte his perspective of the working climate in Tennessee as compared to that of Illinois. Also in attendance was Mayor Karl Dean, of the great city of Nashville, photographed here. Where a topic of discussion included the proposition of a new stadium and the revitalization of East Nashville’s neglected riverfront. This new project promises to turn Nashville’s East Bank into a thriving hub of restaurants and entertainment, affording new opportunities for new jobs by encouraging local entrepreneurship. Deron Lichte meets with Congressman Peter Roskam Deron, as seen here in this Photo Op was introduced by a fellow Congressman of Roskam , Representative Donald A. Manzullo, at the Annual Congressional Luncheon, were taxes, National debt, action vs. rhetoric were discussed. "Americans desperately want and need job creation and a return to fiscal sanity..." Deron stated, as he and Congressman Roskam discussed several issues regarding tax relief for businesses, job creation and innovation, tax and regulation as it relates to the manufacturing industry, and the importance of NAFEM and how 25% of all service industry jobs are Foodservice related. "We are proud to have, from the State of Illinois, a fiscally responsible individual in such a leadership position on Capitol Hill." Congressman Peter Roskam, is U.S. Representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district. Currently Congressman Roskam serves as Chief Deputy Whip in the 112th Congress, ranking the congressman among the most influential House leaders. Article: Community Banks: Small but Mighty [Seen here in Northwest Business Magazine] Deron Lichte wasn’t happy with his bank in 1995. His personal and business accounts were growing, and he wanted a closer connection to his large, corporate bank. “It became about the paperwork, not the service,” he says. “They were not there to accommodate our growth as a business.” About a year before, he had bought Food Warming Equipment. The Crystal Lake business manufactures food service equipment for global clients that include Disney, the Beijing Olympics and Microsoft. Lichte needed occasional business loans, and guidance managing his growing personal accounts. “I interviewed about 15 different banks, trying to find the right fit,” says Lichte. “I thought we were too large for Home State Bank [in Crystal Lake], but they proved me wrong. They really helped me out, and it was all from a local bank.” Today, Lichte gladly tells people why he switched to a community bank: It’s because of the hands-on, personal attention he receives from familiar faces. It’s also because he works with bankers who make their own decisions rather than running every loan application through a corporate structure. Nearly 91 percent of all American banks are small, with less than $1 billion in assets. In fact, almost 36 percent of all U.S. banks have fewer than $100 million in assets, according to the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), a lobby group. By comparison, bigger banks like Chase or Bank of America typically hold between $1 billion and $100 billion or more in assets. Friendly, familiar, reliable and engaged with their community and customers – that’s how America’s 7,000-plus locally owned and operated banks differentiate themselves from large, nationally-owned chain banks. They offer perks for their best customers, but convey an attitude that suggests every client is their best client. Deron Meets Congressman Manzullo Deron, as seen in this Photo Op, meets with U.S. Representative for Illinois's 16th congressional district, Don Manzullo, at a luncheon to better understand current congressional topics and pending economic laws. Tabled for discussion with Representative Manzullo, were the new Energy Star proposals that NAFEM finds overbearing, as it relates to the commercial foodservice industry. In addition to being a major supporter in strengthening manufacturing in America, Congressman Manzullo has met with Deron several times about strongly supporting the export of American goods and the leveling of import duties, tariffs and taxes. "We are lucky to have such a strong advocate as Manzullo representing our district, who also heads export issues involving trade regulations in Congress." - Deron Book: Conscientious Equity, By Neal Asbury [view book cover]“As a small business owner and manufacturer, the issues that Neal discusses in Conscientious Equity have very important implications for any small business. With seventy-five percent of the world’s wealth and ninety-five percent of it's population residing outside the United States, having the same access to foreign markets as foreign manufacturers have to the American market would significantly increase our ability to grow and thus ensure job creation. A world with Conscientious Equity would usher in a new era of prosperity by unshackling the entrepreneurial spirit in all businesses.” —Deron Lichte, President, Food Warming Equipment Co., Inc [Purchase on Amazon] Article: Exit Interview with Philip English [PDF] Listen to this interview Also joining the Neal Asbury Show was Deron Lichte, vice president and chief operating officer of the Food Warming Equipment Company (FWE), a 50-year old company based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, who weighed in on the tax issue. "Our base is in Illinois, and if Illinois was its own country, we would be the 5th most taxed country in the world. Politicians are out of the touch with today’s small business entrepreneurs and instead of feeding the "goose that lays the golden egg" when it comes to tax and job creation, they are taxing us to death. We may have no other choice than moving our operations to a state without state income taxes," said Lichte. Article: For 50 years, a commitment to excellence: Food Warming Equipment Company, Inc. [Link] It was more than 50 years ago that Oren E. Klemm--described by his son Richard Klemm as a "risk taker"--tinkered his way to changing the face of foodservice. In 1946, the elder Klemm founded a water filtration business in modest beginnings, a garage in suburban Chicago. In the late 1940s he pioneered the "HOT-SERVE" line of Food Warming and Conveying Cabinets that we known throughout the foodservice industry today as Heated Banquet Cabinets. Food Warming Equipment Company, now also known as FWE, marks its 50th anniversary of incorporation in 1953. "He helped change the whole concept of mass feeding, but did it in an elegant manner," Richard Klemm recalls. "Before Dad, when you went to a banquet, the head table would be finished eating before everyone else had been served their food." Like father, like son. Since 1972, Richard Klemm has run FWE as chief executive officer and chairman of the board, receiving four patents for his innovations, overseeing a manufacturing plant move as well as several expansions of the manufacturing facility and positioning the company for the next half century. FWE, based in Crystal Lake, Ill, is an innovator in equipment for rethermalizing, cook-hold and transporting food either hot or cold, as well as portable bars. The company makes close to 500 models, including 68 different types of banquet carts with five unique heat systems, a much larger selection than the nearest competitor. Customers range from fine dining and hotel resorts to casual dining, QSR chain restaurants, schools and universities to the very demanding prison/penitentiary segments--and all operations in between. Early Breakthroughs While holding hot food and cold food outside of a kitchen's four walls hardly seems like breakthrough science today, the novelty of FWE's early products cannot be overstated. In 1954, Clyde Jennings, president of Hotel Elton in Waterbury, Conn., wrote to FWE, "When I purchased one of your Hot-Serve Food Warming Cabinets last year, it was certainly an experiment from my point of view ... The idea of getting 50 to 100 party dishes out of the way before regular luncheon or dinner service began would lessen the work at peak times." He added that the chef was so delighted with the new addition to his kitchen that he actually "caressed" the stainless-steel polish on the equipment and would highly recommend the concept. Richard Klemm remembers less emotional responses to early sales calls. "When we introduced refrigerators or freezers on wheels, customers would ask, 'Why wheels?' It took some time for the concept of portable food cabinets to catch on." However, soon enough it did. Catering clients, such as North Shore Hotel--now a retirement hotel in Evanston, Ill.--purchased FWE hot holding cabinets for serving banquets in 1954 and 1955. The same equipment is still in use today, 49 years later! Few weddings, banquets, dinners or business lunches are served nationwide--or worldwide, for that matter, without mobile carts that keep food fresh and safe until the plates hit the table. Guests who get their food hot and at the same time as those at the host table have FWE to thank. Teamwork and Technology Even businesses that break ground need to continue to evolve, and FWE has done that, while sticking to its five-decade history of teamwork, customer service and value. As the economy has faltered and competition has increased in recent years, FWE has only become more nimble, says Jeff Brown, a foodservice consultant with Miami-based Inman Associates LLC. "In the last decade, they have become something very special. I recommend their products to clients because other factories are asking, 'How cheap can we make this?' and FWE asks, 'How can we make this better? How can we make the project better?'" Brown says FWE's Crystal Lake, Ill., plant is among the most …