40 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2017
MANAGEMENT MATTERS
In building the dealer's leadership team, Brad and Jerry Lan-
caster have aligned themselves with two individuals — David
Hammersley, vice president of sales, and Brad Zabel, vice
president-project management/construction — that not only
share their appetite for hard work and customer service but
also have a strong background in the foodservice industry.
Their other business leaders, Jeremy Lewis, executive vice
president for JLA Equipment Distribution, and Amanda
Swain, customer success manager for Kitchenrestock.com,
also take a hands-on approach to customer service but came
from outside of the foodservice industry.
The foodservice industry has been a part of Ham-
mersley's life since the very beginning. His mother was a
professional chef and by age 13 Hammersley ran a hot dog
cart on the side of the road in New England. He used the
money from the cart to help support the family and put a
brother and sister through school. Hammersley then went
to New York City in pursuit of an architectural degree and
eventually returned home to New Hampshire to work for a
dealer as a designer/salesman. "I was trained and mentored
by Jack Nicholas and Dave Unger," he says of his first foray
into the dealer community.
Hammersley then got a job offer from a dealer in
Boston. Before long, a New England rep firm sought out
Hammersley because of his equipment knowledge. After some
Brad Zabel, a vice president, works with eight
project managers and five assistant project
managers in Johnson-Lancaster and Associates'
contract division. Working with construction
companies is a key part of Zabel's role.
QUIET GIANTS