Our History
Built on a tradition of excellence.
Mission: To be the world's leading manufacturer of innovative, customer-focused solutions for the foodservice professionals who value quality products and service.
From the corporate offices in Milwaukee to the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Hatco Corporation is a proud employee-owned company. That pride exists in every employee and is displayed in their workmanship, which is reflected in every product – from design to production to service and beyond. With a commitment to quality and reliability, all Hatco equipment also undergoes a manufacturing process called Demand Flow Technology (DFT), which uses a series of quality checks and tests to ensure each product meets our rigid performance standards.
Hatco has introduced many “firsts.” The company began in 1950 by recognizing the need to properly sanitize dishware and responded by developing the Powermite® Electric Booster Water Heater that generated 180°F (82°C) sanitizing rinse water, which soon became the industry standard. In the 1960s, Hatco added Third Compartment Sanitizing Sink Heaters to the water heating line and offered the industry the first conveyor toaster, Toast King®, to meet the needs of high-volume bread and bun toasting. Hatco also took food warming to another dimension with Glo-Ray® Infrared Strip Heaters with special reflectors that direct heat to the outer edges of holding areas, extending food holding times.
Through the 1970s, the food warming line grew to include portable foodwarmers and Flav-R-Savor® Holding & Display Cabinets, which use a precise combination of heat and humidity to provide the best holding environment. The last two decades of the 20th century saw Hatco introduce many products in the show-and-sell and self-serve areas – including buffet warmers, heated shelves, merchandising warmers, warming drawers and chip warmers – as corporate cafeterias, convenience stores, delis and kiosks grew quickly.
During the first two decades of the 2000s, Hatco introduced (to name a few): Glo-Ray® Fry Holding Stations, Ultra-Glo® Ceramic Strip Heaters, Glo-Ray® Heated Glass Merchandising Warmers, Decorative Lamps, Flav-R-Savor® Heated Air Curtain Cabinets, Heated Wells, Pop-Up Toasters, Decorative Carving Stations, Refrigerated Drop-In Wells, Drop-In Frost Tops, Heated Zone Merchandisers, Flav-R-Savor® Energy Efficient Holding Cabinets, Drop-In Hot/Cold Wells, Heated LED Merchandisers, Intelligent Toast-Qwik® Conveyor Toasters, Electric Salamander, Hot/Cold Built-In Shelves, Chef LED Light Bulbs, Glo-Ray® Curved Strip Heaters, Glo-Rite® Curved Display Lights, the next generation of Toast-Qwik® Conveyor Toasters, Drop-In Modular/Ganged Dry Heated Wells, Intelligent Heated Display Cabinets with Humidity and Flav-R-Savor® Heated Air Curtain Merchandisers.
Over the years, Hatco has launched many sustainability initiatives. Through our ECOization® program, we are committed to reducing waste, saving energy and reducing our carbon footprint through the discovery and development of new environmentally friendly manufacturing and operational processes, as well as the design of our products. We are also committed to social responsibility and charitable giving, participating in various opportunities to give back to the community whether that is through annual fundraising events, company donation matching programs, food drives, blood drives or other charity events.
More recently, Hatco has stayed at the forefront of new trends and technologies, responding with innovative equipment solutions. Though induction is far from a new technology, its popularity has grown due to the energy efficiencies it provides for commercial foodservice operations. Hatco has introduced an award-winning line of induction solutions – including Rapide Cuisine® Countertop & Drop-In Induction Ranges, Palletti® Countertop & Drop-In Induction Warmers, Boxer® Countertop Induction Ranges, Maskerade® Undercounter Induction Warmer and Drop-In Induction Dry Well – that takes induction cooking and holding to a new level.
Jumping on the breakfast and snacking crazes, Hatco expanded its light cooking equipment line by partnering with Suntec to produce the Snack System and Waffle Makers. Hatco also recognized the growing popularity of order-ahead pickup and responded by introducing the revolutionary Flav-R 2-Go® Locker System, Glo-Ray 2-Go® Heated Shelves, Flav-R 2-Go® Pizza Locker System and Pickup Pod™, propelled by Minnow™. In May 2022, Hatco launched its Flav-R-Shield® Sneeze Guard line, which provides maximum protection, visibility, functionality, and style.
In 2013, Hatco acquired Ovention, Inc., manufacturer of award-winning, high-speed, Precision Impingement® ovens. In 2021, Hatco acquired ADM, the leading manufacturer of sneeze guards made proudly in the USA. In 2022, Hatco acquired American Range®, the brand of choice of commercial cooking equipment among professional chefs and restauranteurs, and Food Warming Equipment (FWE) Company, Inc., the premier foodservice manufacturer specializing in heated holding cabinets, cook & hold ovens, transport carts and more. Our purpose is to make enjoyable dining possible, and we are fortunate to have these trusted, innovative companies under the Hatco umbrella committed to the same purpose so we can continue supporting the foodservice industry with all their equipment needs.
To this day, we continue to be dedicated to providing exceptional customer service, quality-engineered equipment that offers maximum performance, and cost-effective solutions that meet the industry's needs for versatility, productivity, profitability and service. Hatco Corporation: People who serve, products that solve.®
Yours free! An Appetite for Life – the people and products that made Hatco. Our history, in the words of the people who made it. Contact us today for your free copy.
