KaTom Jumps Two Spots in Restaurant Equipment Dealer Rankings

East Tennessee’s KaTom Restaurant Supply has climbed two spots in this year’s industry rankings for restaurant equipment dealers and is now the 23rd-largest such company in America.

KaTom is the only Tennessee company to make the slate of 100 “Distribution Giants” put out by industry publication Foodservice Equipment & Supplies. Its sales of $70.79 million in 2015 represent an increase of more than 14 percent. That continues a track record of growth that has landed KaTom on the Inc. magazine list of America’s fastest-growing companies for seven consecutive years as of 2015, with sales growth since 2010 of more than 228 percent.

“I continue to be astounded by the phenomenal growth of this company that started in the garage of our home in Russellville almost 30 years ago,” KaTom Founder, President, and CEO Patricia Bible says. “I firmly believe that old adage that says hard work increases your luck, and we have the hardest-working team in the industry.”

KaTom Restaurant Supply in Kodak, Tenn.

The news comes as the foodservice industry continues to set new revenue records, with the National Restaurant Association projecting sales of $782.7 billion this year. If that number bears out, it would represent a nearly $200 billion increase since 2010 and more than a doubling of the industry’s sales in the year 2000. That would easily maintain foodservice’s ranking as one of the top segments of the U.S. economy.

That growth, paired with efforts by the company including the launch of a new website and the development of a contract department that can handle everything from single units to chain accounts, has fueled KaTom’s rise, Bible says.

“Opening and operating a restaurant are two of the most challenging things anyone can do in business. We’ve set a goal of ensuring we make it simple for our customers to find what they need to be successful, whether that means providing personalized customer service or structuring our website to make it as user friendly as possible,” she explains. “The success of every customer we serve is the foundation of the success of KaTom, and every member of our team recognizes that.”

Adding to a long list of accolades for Bible, it appears she’s the only woman among the CEOs of the top 25 restaurant equipment companies in the industry.

KaTom Restaurant Supply is located at 305 KaTom Drive in Kodak, Tenn.