Cooking oil depot
opens in Stockton

By Reed Fujii, Record Staff Writer

Posted Oct. 3, 2015 at 5:22 PM

STOCKTON — Restaurant Technologies Inc., a cooking oil
supply and management company serving restaurants, hotels and institutions, is
in the process of consolidating two operations into a single 22,570-square-foot
depot in Stockton.

With 20 employees, the new facility replaces previous depots
in Hayward and Sacramento and will serve a territory within roughly 250 miles
of Stockton. “As our customer base in this region continues to grow, this depot
consolidation will ensure that we can improve efficiencies and provide the
level of service our customers have come to expect,” Jeff Kiesel, company chief
executive, said in a press release.

Micah Runner, Stockton economic development director, said
the consolidation is one more example of how the city’s location and strong
transportation infrastructure support many sorts of logistics and distribution
operations. “Plus, RTI’s food-grade oil management and delivery services align
with Stockton’s economic development strategic plan in attracting and retaining
food processors and distributors,” he said in a statement.

Restaurant Technologies’ new lease facility in south
Stockton will enable it to expand its truck fleet and staff of service
technicians. It provides fully automated oil storage, handling and disposal
systems, easing the task of restaurant workers who use deep fryers and dispose
of spent cooking oil and grill grease.

That advanced system fits in with the increasing automation
and sophistication of the many logistics and food-handling operations seen in
San Joaquin County, said Michael Ammann, chief executive of the San Joaquin
Partnership, which helped Restaurant Technologies to the area. “That’s what
more and more people are looking at because of regulation, because of
efficiency and the cost,” he said of RTI’s equipment and services. “It’s a
total-solution type of company. We love those.”

The company said it expects to complete the move into the
new facility by the middle of the month. Lease terms and the company’s capital
investment in the new facility were not disclosed. Headquartered in Mendota
Heights, Minnesota, Restaurant Technologies has more than 22,000 customers and
40 depots throughout the United States.

— Contact reporter Reed Fujii at (209) 546-8253 or rfujii@recordnet.com.