1946
Oren E. Klemm founds Peerless Water Filter in Chicago, Ill. The company produced water filtering equipment and water tanks.
1948
Food Warming products are developed as an offshoot of Peerless’ work within hotels, schools, and resorts. As a result of the Peerless relationship with PepsiCo., FWE designs portable bars, known as “The Toughest Bar in Town.”
1950
FWE and Peerless share workspace together in its original Arlington Heights, Ill. modest facility.
FWE’s pioneering “Hot-Serve” cabinet hits the streets with room for 96 pre-plated meals at a list price of $960.
1953
Food Warming Equipment Company (FWE) is incorporated on August 1, 1953.
1957
Early orders come in from Hotel Eton in Waterbury, Conn., The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, and Hilton hotel chains, Illinois Bell Telephone, Kansas State University, and the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
1962
After almost a decade of keeping food warm, FWE introduces mobile refrigerators and freezers to complement mobile and banqueting needs. Customers from hotels to schools value the added convenience and food safety advantages of on-demand cold food conveyor cabinets.
1966
FWE rapidly outgrows its space in Arlington Heights, Ill., and moves to a new facility in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
In the 1960s, Oren’s son, Richard Klemm joins FWE, working alongside his father.
1968
After listening to customer feedback, FWE develops and introduces the “UHS” series Universal Heated Server holding cabinets designed to hold both sheet trays AND steam pans at the same time. This was an industry first and the “UHS” series is still one of the most popular cabinets on the market.
1972
Richard Klemm becomes the owner of FWE, purchasing the company from his father and investors.
Klemm files and receives four patents for his innovations in heated cabinets, new banquet cabinet advancements, and a food warming cabinet humidifier system.
1974
FWE invents the Rarity Oven, one of the first low-temperature roast and hold ovens in the marketplace. With the first order of 650 oven for Bonanza International, Inc. Restaurants, the Rarity Owen became a fixture in the food service landscape.
1978
“Cold-Freeze” Dual-Temp Cabinet is introduced, which conveniently switches from refrigerate to freeze with a flip of a switch.
1982
In need of a larger manufacturing plant and to better position the company for the next several decades, FWE expands its manufacturing capability and moves to Crystal Lake, Ill.
1984
Deron Lichte joins FWE as an administrator and salesperson. His passion for FWE and the industry drove him to quickly become a key leader in the company.
1987
FWE introduces the “Hot-Cold” Dual Temp cabinet, allowing the unit to switch from heat to refrigeration. The “Dual-Heat” Banquet cabinets were first introduced allowing for both engineered canned-fuel heat use as well as electric power.
1994
Deron Litche becomes principal owner, expanding the factory and implementing state-of-the-art, leading-edge production techniques – adding those to FWE’s classic traditions.
1996
Operating under a directive of better, faster, greater, FWE implements advances in warehousing, customer satisfaction engagement, and advances culinary expertise and engineering resources. FWE establishes a quick ship program to better meet customer needs, a new idea in the industry.
2003
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, FWE refurbishes and rolls out our 1950 Chevrolet pickup as a throwback tribute to our original delivery truck. The truck can still be seen at NAFEM shows, around the factory, and on the streets in the Nashville area.
Expanding the manufacturing process, the first of three lasers are added to fabrication punch cell automation.
2005
After a decade, Deron Lichte becomes the sole owner of FWE.
2010
FWE experiences averaged double-digit sales growth since 1994, and international sales now account for 15% of the company sales in over 40 countries.
2012
After 65 years of operation in the Chicago-land area, while still maintaining a corporate office in Crystal Lake, Ill, FWE moves from the to just outside of Nashville in Portland, Tenn. The new state-of-the-art 161,5000 square foot facility expands material management, production capability, speed, test labs, research and development ability as well as inventory and quick ship products. Sales continue to expand averaging a 20% increase and steadily increasing on-time shipment performance from 94% to an amazing 100% on-time shipping to our valued customers and clients.
2020
Despite unprecedented challenges at the turn of the decade, FWE moves forward expanding automation, robotics, and cutting-edge technology, continuing FWE’s commitment and confidence in the resilient foodservice industry.
2022
Hatco® Corporation announced the purchase of Food Warming Equipment Company, Inc. (FWE) on Monday, October 31st, 2022. From our inception as a company in 1953, FWE has strived to be an industry leader in quality, reliability, customer service, and innovation. During those almost 70 years in business, we have endeavored to always remember these core values that this company was founded upon. This new partnership with Hatco guarantees that our commitment to these core values will not waver. Joining the Hatco umbrella of companies will ensure innovation like never before from FWE. We foresee a sharing of ideas from not only our parent company, Hatco, but also with other companies in the Hatco family which includes ADM, American Range, and Ovention.
