For Singer Equipment Co., that challenge is at the center of the company’s decision to expand the responsibilities of Eric Santagato, who has been promoted to president of distribution and contract, PA/NY. Santagato will continue to lead Singer’s distribution business while assuming leadership responsibility for its Pennsylvania and New York contract operation.
The promotion comes after a two-year period in which Singer distribution business more than doubled in revenue and evolved from a strong regional operation into a national distribution platform. During that growth, Santagato helped expand Singer’s warehouse footprint, strengthen its logistics capabilities and build the leadership structure needed to support a larger organization.
“Eric’s success goes well beyond the results,” Singer Equipment President and CEO Fred Singer said. “He has built the people, infrastructure, and capabilities behind that growth. Eric has demonstrated an ability to see where the business needs to go, build the organization required to get there, and then execute. He has earned the trust of our employees, customers, and leadership team through his judgment, accountability, and commitment to doing what is right for Singer.”
For Santagato, however, the biggest takeaway from Singer’s rapid distribution growth is that additional warehouses, systems and infrastructure only create value when they enable people to serve customers better. “Growth can never come at the expense of what got you there in the first place, which is the people,” Santagato said. “Our business has always been built around relationships, and everything we do is for the long term. As you get bigger, you need better systems and more infrastructure, but all those investments should make our people better and more effective, not replace the human side of the business.”
That philosophy became especially important as Singer expanded beyond its traditional regional footprint. Building a national platform required investment in warehousing, logistics, inventory and management, but Santagato noted that those capabilities ultimately have to translate into a better experience at the customer level. “Our people are what turn those capabilities into an exceptional experience for our customers,” Santagato added. “We’ve been very intentional about putting the right leaders in place, building stronger teams and putting people closer to the customer. No matter where a customer is, we want them to feel like there is a senior person who really knows their business, cares about their business and cares about their success.”
His expanded responsibility now brings that approach into Singer’s PA/NY contract business, where projects can involve consultants, designers, architects, general contractors, manufacturers, reps, installers and operators working together over months or even years.
The opportunity, in Santagato’s view, is not simply to connect the distribution and contract businesses, but to make Singer’s entire organization more connected. “We don’t look at it as just contract and distribution,” he detailed. “Any part of the organization that can be better connected is going to create a better experience for the customer. Whether that is procurement and sales, technology or another part of the company, the more connected we are internally, the easier it becomes to serve the customer.”
That same thinking applies to the increasingly complicated process of designing, building and opening foodservice operations. Santagato believes many of the best solutions come from bringing the people closest to customers and projects together rather than relying exclusively on top-down management. “We have to continue putting people in the same room together to come up with great ideas for our business,” he said. “The people closest to the business have the best ideas. That is something we are really focused on.”
For operators undertaking new construction, renovations or major equipment packages, Santagato sees the equipment dealer’s role extending well beyond writing an order. “Customers want knowledgeable people who can help them from the beginning of a project all the way through opening day and beyond,” he outlined. “And when there is a problem, they need someone who is going to take ownership of that problem. This is where people matter most. We stand behind what we sell, and that means having people stay engaged throughout the entire process until the issue is resolved, full stop.”
Singer also operates in a marketplace in which consolidation continues to reshape the manufacturer rep community. Santagato said Singer’s response is to approach those partnerships much like it approaches customer relationships — with a long-term focus on trust, education and communication. “The best rep relationships are built around trust and communication and people who genuinely want to work together,” Santagato noted. “We lean in heavily and encourage people to invest in each other through education, communication and solving problems together. This industry is still very much a people business, and the strongest partnerships are built when people on both sides trust each other and are focused on doing the right thing.”
Technology will also continue to play an increasing role as Singer grows and works to create consistency across a larger organization. Santagato sees technology not as a substitute for personal relationships, but as infrastructure that gives employees better information and enables teams to work together more effectively.
Building the leadership pipeline required to support that growth is another priority. Santagato pointed to Singer’s internal “SPARK” values — service driven, professional, accountable, responsive and knowledgeable — as a guide for what the company seeks in its leaders. “We have great leaders at Singer Equipment, and those leaders care about their customers and they care about their teams,” Santagato said. “They take ownership, they represent the Singer SPARK, and they are humble enough to listen and continue learning. We also want leaders who develop other people. If we are going to continue growing, we have to create opportunities for the next generation and give talented people a chance to grow within Singer.”
Fred Singer sees Santagato’s expanded role as the next step in applying those capabilities to another strategically important portion of the company. “This promotion recognizes what Eric has accomplished and reflects our confidence in what he can accomplish next,” Singer added. “He has proven his ability to successfully lead and scale a significant business, develop strong leaders, and build for the future. We believe those same leadership qualities will be instrumental in the next chapter of our PA/NY contract business.”
For Santagato, the strategy ultimately comes down to a goal that is considerably simpler than the increasingly complex organization and marketplace required to deliver it. “Make Singer incredibly easy to do business with,” Santagato concluded.
Restaurant and foodservice operators, consultants, designers, manufacturers and industry partners interested in learning more about Singer Equipment Co., its distribution capabilities or its contract services can visit
www.singerequipment.com.
