The Feature Presentation: A Concessions Masterpiece
If you’ve ever enjoyed a bag of hot buttered popcorn at the movies, sporting events, local fair, or any other type of event, the chances are pretty good that your tasty treat was popped in a machine manufactured by C. Cretors and Company. This Chicago-based, family-owned and -operated company has been a leading designer and manufacturer of food processing and concession equipment for 135 years. And it all started with the introduction of the first patented steam-driven popcorn machine that popped corn in oil. Today, C. Cretors & Co. is widely credited with being the catalyst for the creation of the modern concession industry.
Quantities, Options, & Lead Times…Oh, my!
Picture a classic popcorn machine. In that machine, a gearmotor drives the stirring mechanism in the popper, distributing the oil and ensuring all the kernels get popped and not burnt. In the late 1970s, C. Cretors & Co. was purchasing those gearmotors from a largescale supplier. Like most others at the time, this supplier required large-quantity orders. But the problem was that Cretors’ production volumes were low, so it was difficult to keep up with a high-volume requirement. Cretors also wanted more gearmotor options, with a wider range of speeds and voltages than the largescale supplier offered. So, Cretors was in search of a different supplier that would work with their needs, and with very short lead times.
Making a Match
Another motor supplier recommended a small gearmotor manufacturer to C. Cretors & Co. That small company, Multi Products, had no issue meeting lower-quantity orders. On top of that, Multi Products custom engineered gearmotors with the RPMs and voltages that Cretors needed and delivered with short lead times.
Still Popping After All These Years
40 years later, C. Cretors & Company still counts on Multi Products as one of its valued suppliers. As Cretors has grown, so has Multi Products, adding more options for motors and gearboxes. And if any issues have come up, such as the occasional noisy motor, Multi has always searched for solutions, like changing pinion gears or going to lower speed motors. Multi also has made it a point to maintain those short lead times. Contact us to see how we can help you.