TEXAS METAL EQUIPMENT - Key Persons
Andrew Harman began working for Texas Metal Equipment Co. (now TME) as a teenager in the 1980s. Cultivating his skills in the fabrication shop, Andrew later went to work for a competitor before joining the team at Dick Saylor & Associates. It was during that experience where he learned food service consulting, and most importantly, that the industry was more about people than kitchens and the equipment in them.
Andrew then took on the role of Director of Foodservice Design & Purchasing at Landry's Seafood before starting his own company, Harman Foodservice. Within a year, TME asked him to rejoin their team to help grow the company. He did so, and went on the buy the company two years later and grow it to the outstanding operation it is today.
Since his beginning in the fabrication shop, Andrew has worked in nearly every sector of the food service industry from dealer to fabricator to consultant to end-user, which is how his unique perspective for the needs of all stakeholders developed. Today as President and Owner, he has the honor of leading a remarkable group of self-driven individuals that pride themselves on accomplishing the impossible and delivering the best service, products and equipment in the food service industry. His team is known for fully understanding the end-user's needs and wants and not only meeting, but exceeding, expectations.
Helping his high-performing team provide the best experience for clients, Andrew prides himself on identifying and offering resources necessary for success. He also strives to give team members the ability and confidence to make decisions that are best for clients.
Andrew studied mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. To him, life is about moments and experiences, which is why he loves the outdoors and spending time with family. He hunts, fishes and rides horses, and has passed down those passions to his two sons and daughter. Right now Andrew's greatest enjoyment is traveling to his daughter's rodeos to watch her barrel race, pole bend and rope.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- Senior Project Manager
This Project Manager is known for her impeccable customer service and being the "glue" that keeps our TME team on track. Over her career Ashley Zrodlowski has managed thousands of restaurant projects as well as multiple support teams. With four years of experience working in restaurant Operations and 16 years with kitchen equipment dealers, TME clients rely on Ashley for expert project management.
With vast responsibilities from handling customer inquiries, handling projects from order entry to installation, answering billing questions, overseeing logistics and internal processes/ training, Ashley pushes TME's operational effectiveness to further the company's success and service offerings. As she works to build productive relationships and win client loyalty, her levelheaded thinking and resourcefulness benefit customers when it comes to making initial decisions or resolving problems that may arise during a project. Driven to achieve clients' commercial kitchen and bar goals, Ashley also continuously works to streamline internal processes and improve operations.
Ashley has a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality from the University of North Texas. She credits her time waiting tables at Hooters with how she found her career and met her husband of 20 years. Ashley loves to spend time with her husband and two boys, working out and watching sports.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Business Development
Bill Carter's career in the food service business spans over 25 years, including a decade with TME. In his role, Bill supports team members and clients, ensuring both parties are successful and reach their goals. In his leadership role, he makes the right decisions for his team and makes right on promises to clients. Internally, he is part of strategic planning, budgeting, marketing, sales, training and contract negotiation, while externally, Bill is focused on navigating clients through the design-build process.
Offering an experienced opinion, Bill is a knowledgeable voice during the design conception period and throughout equipment selection, installation and commissioning of clients' commercial kitchen. His understanding, creativity and critical thinking guide clients through sometimes challenging decisions, so that their needs and expectations are met.
Before joining the TME team, Bill worked at a boutique food service equipment dealer as Project Manager/Account Manager for nearly 10 years. He actively participated in the rollout of a large national restaurant chain with hundreds of locations each year. Bill's tenure there developed his skills for executing projects at a high level under pressure and grew his understanding of team building to support customer needs. After that role, Bill spent about five years managing national accounts at one of largest dealerships in the country, and later moved on to one of the Midwest's most respected dealerships in a similar role for three years.
Bill attended the College of Lake County and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. His favorite hobby is traveling with his wife, exploring new places, cultures and food. He also enjoys cooking for his family, listening to music, reading and watching films.
Although her official title is Office Manager, Julie Travioli is really a jack of all trades. Taking on more work every year she's been with TME, Julie oversees accounting and human resources - just to name a couple responsibilities. Although she doesn't often interface with clients, she ensures the entire TME team has what they need to ensure clients have the best experience possible.
With over 20 years of experience in the commercial construction industry, Julie has an extensive background that lends itself perfectly to the work TME performs. She began her career as a Project Coordinator with some accounting responsibilities for a commercial subcontractor. Wanting a more challenging role, Julie went to work for a nationwide commercial general contractor as a Project Accountant for 6 years. She took a short sabbatical from commercial construction, at that time she took on a role as a Customer Relations Manager and also oversaw quality control for a construction software company. Back to her roots, she has found a permanent home with TME.
Julie is a mother of one daughter, and her family and faith are extremely important to her. Recently she began working with her sister helping raise awareness and educate people about critical and possible life threating heart conditions in youth through the Mason's Heart Foundation.
Kim Larsen is responsible for reviewing, processing and paying all invoices. She also coordinates with project managers and project coordinators to resolve any discrepancies between purchase orders and invoices. In addition, Kim receives and processes requests to issue purchase orders from foreman and assists in the weekly collection and entry of employees' time card data for payroll processing.
Within her 21-year career, Kim has worked for well-known global and domestic organizations in a range of industries. Her diverse experience includes a variety of positions, including Project Manager, Communications Director, Business Analyst, Business Process Analyst, Senior Human Resources Analyst and Customer Service Analyst. Most recently, she held a Project Manager role for a Tomball-based communicates company where she oversaw the scope, timeline and budget for all projects, managed staff resources, coordinated the translation and editing process and ensured timely delivery. She was also responsible for the overall communication with all stakeholders involved in the process.
Through her experience, Kim has cultivated the ability of prioritizing tasks, which allows her to keep TMEC's vendors happy with timely payments and up-to-date accounts. She's also an organized, self-starter who is relied on by the TME team.
Kim has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Management from Our Lady of the Lake University in Houston, Texas. She also has extensive training in a variety of focuses, including Managing Projects in Organizations, Quality for Project Managers, Contracting for Project Managers and Managing e-Business Projects.
Kim enjoys being outdoors, especially on a sunny day, with either a fishing pole in hand or lounging on a sandy beach with family. Exercise is also a huge part of her every day routine. Driven to help others, Kim serves on her daughter's high school FFA Booster Club board as Secretary. She also volunteers often for her other daughter's high school band booster club.
Job Titles:
- Estimator
- Project Coordinator
Matt Wenzel served in the United States Navy as an Information Systems Technician before attending the Art Institute of Houston where he received an Associates of Applied Science in Culinary Arts degree and title of Certified Chef. He has since worked in the restaurant industry as a server, bartender, general manager and executive chef. After 12 years, Matt seized the opportunity to work at TME.
Today, Matt's experience is invaluable as it pertains to the projects TME completes for clients. Because he knows his way around a kitchen and is familiar with the equipment and product needs of a successful culinary staff, Matt helps clients make the right decisions for their space. Throughout the design-build process, Matt is responsible for reviewing bid documents and creating accurate and competitive bid proposals. He also handles product receipts, ensuring the right equipment and products are received and allocated to the proper project. In collaboration with other team members, Matt also sets up job information sheets, track purchase orders, develops brochures and creates operations and maintenance manuals.
In his free time, Matt can be found on the couch binge watching Netflix or at high school football games watching his son march in the band's halftime show. He also still loves to cook, taking full advantage of Thanksgiving to show off his skills.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Ryan Williamson Director of Operations
Ryan Williamson's diverse experience lends him to be a knowledgeable resource and consultant. He has operations experience both as a server and a bartender. Ryan has thorough knowledge with design build and multi-chain restaurants and his experience with custom stainless steel fabricated solutions is extensive. Ryan's on-the-job construction training from years in project management make him a valuable resource when collaborating with general contractors and architects to realize the client's goals.
After spending eight years with a competitive dealer, Ryan joined the TME team in 2015. To this day, he can't envision himself working anywhere else. He is comfortable working in both the multi-chain and design-build environments. He takes a hands-on approach to coordinating with the general contractor, owner and operations teams before, during and after the installation of the project.
Ryan graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality. As a true family man, Ryan values spending time with his wife and two daughters. He is also an avid fisherman, taught at a young age by family members. Today, he competes in bass fishing tournaments. Ryan has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the past 14 years.
Stanley From sees himself as not only a food service dealer, but a client's partner, saving them time and money because of his broad experience. At the start of his career, Stan was a manufacturer's representative for a major fire suppression company providing sales, training and support to all available approved installation contractors within a seven-state region for multiple industries, including the restaurant industry. He later became a distributor for the Greenheck Fan Corporation. During his tenure with the company, Stan was instrumental in the redesign of their current kitchen hood system that is still in use today. Most recently before joining TME in 2007, Stan was owner/operator of a hood installation, service and cleaning company for over a decade which serviced restaurant concepts across the nation.
Working with clients from beginning to end, Stan oversees the proposal phase, as well as initial design and subsequent drawings of the kitchen. He creates specifications for equipment needed for a given project, and prices, bids and negotiates the equipment list. Working within set schedule, Stan also orders, delivers and installs equipment and pulls any necessary permits. His communication and time management skills are second to none, making him a crucial part of the team.
Stephen Trawnik has been on the TME team for 10 years. As head of the Contract Department, he oversees project estimating as well as contract execution, purchasing, installation and close-out procedures. Stephen also coordinates with contractors during a project and follows up on warranty and service needs with clients after a restaurant opens. Managing upwards of 15 plus projects at a time - and all at different stages - Stephen maintains a clear understanding of project statuses to ensure all projects are completed as scheduled.
Working in the foodservice industry from 1995 to 2000, Stephen has taken on roles from service to kitchen staff, janitorial to management. Since 2001, he has worked in foodservice construction, public work and private work, building kitchens, service areas or even individual equipment sales for all varieties of commercial kitchen establishments.
In the ranges of roles he has held, Stephen has gained experience performing a myriad of task - all tailored to customers expectations and requirements. Whether it be specialized safety programs, construction methods or document requirements, Stephen easily adapts to their special desires and needs.
Stephen enjoys fiction writing for personal enrichment and amusement. He also belongs to a social group that has daily and seasonal events to bring people together to share literature, interests, fair and trade show involvement and assistance.
Steve Harman began work full time at TME in 1981. Working for the company for the majority of his career, he also has experience working for one of the most respected manufacturing plants in the Houston area during the 1990's, where he honed his skills executing high quantity, repetitive orders and design techniques. While there, Steve was responsible for redesigning a new line of food service exhaust hoods, and was quickly moved to sales in the New York market as a customer service representative before joining TME.
With almost 40 years of working in a shop environment, Steve has gained extensive knowledge of fabrication techniques and time management skills that ensure a quality product is produced in a timely manner. He guarantees TME customers receive more than expected, not only in the product but in the company's continued service after the sale as well.
In general, Steve oversees and manages all daily operations, from quoting to manufacturing, including scheduling installation teams for TME's Houston plant. His daily responsibilities include product design and engineering, employee management, shop maintenance, fleet management, manufacturing proposal preparation, and most importantly, ongoing customer relations maintenance.
Steve enjoys bow hunting, boating and working on his small acreage in the country where he lives with his wife Gabi. His passion is woodworking and he has a small shop at home where he works on projects such as building furniture.
One quality that sets Tracy apart is her collaborative team building skills, both inside and outside of TME's walls. She opened the Dallas TME office and has recruited and oversees a team that excels. Her unwavering customer service is recognized by clients and stands as an example for the entire team, while her culmination of 28 years of experience enables her to provide insights that further the success of clients' restaurants.
Under Tracy's leadership, the TME team provides clients the right product and equipment selection, business intelligence, design and engineering services and all-encompassing project management skills. Basically, TME cares about the little things; the things which are hard that our competitors don't want to take on. Everyone wants "the big job" but TME takes care of the day to day items our operators face that make a difference. Our reward? The big job.
Tracy got her start in the industry working with the largest Embassy Suites franchisee - whose portfolio encompassed hotels in North America, Mexico and Europe. A boutique hotel project in Manzanillo, Mexico led her to an opportunity to expand the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt chain. She then took a position with Pizza Inn, working with their team on foodservice expansion across the globe. It was during this experience that Tracy cultivated relationships that brought her to a kitchen equipment dealer in Fort Worth, Texas where she found a true love for food service equipment and design. This expansion led her to TME.
Tracy attended Texas Tech, with a major in marketing and a minor in psychology. Her life is all about work hard, play hard, always looking ahead at to what travel lies ahead. From jumping off cliffs to parasailing in the Caribbean, to taking in the Amalfi Coast, Tracy enjoys the adventure. She also loves spending time with her family and is grateful everyday for them.