Since 1965, Roncalli High School of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has been preparing students for life – 5,118 graduates so far, and about 230 current students.
And since the first day of classes at Roncalli High, a Hobart C-81 conveyor-style dishwasher has been reliably washing students’ lunchware, 180 days a year, going on 56 years. Not to mention cleaning dishes to a sparkle after the school’s annual Food Fair, annual dinners, fundraising auctions, and even community events and wedding receptions.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” says John Stelzer, Roncalli High’s president, of the lasting, dependable performance of the Hobart dishwasher – and a Hobart H-600 60-quart mixer that’s also been in the kitchen since the start. “I think one of the reasons is obviously the product of great quality, which has stood the test of time.”
He also credits the loyalty of Roncalli’s kitchen and maintenance employees. The school’s current maintenance worker, who joined the staff two years ago, is only the third in the school’s history. “And we’ve had very little turnover in the kitchen,” he adds. “We’re very fortunate to have dedicated long-term employees. I’ve got to believe that that has helped.”
Wendy Nett, Roncalli’s finance specialist, agrees. “Our kitchen staff have been very diligent in keeping the dishwasher clean on a daily basis.”
That responsibility currently lies with a kitchen staffer, Kelly, born the year – 1965 – the dishwasher began its service. Nett shares that Kelly confided in her: “’I’m getting wrinkles and grey hair and am needing a little more care, so I treat the dishwasher the same way.’”
With a capacity of 360 racks an hour, the double tank, high-capacity C-81 was designed for automatic, low-maintenance performance – helping to build Hobart’s reputation for best-in-class wash performance, efficiency, and lifetime value. Over the years, the dishwasher has needed minimal maintenance, Nett says.
Stelzer says, “I’ve been on both sides of that dishwasher.” First, as a student in the Roncalli High Class of 1981 and now as an administrator, before first serving at the school as teacher and coach. Anticipating that the long-tenured dishwasher will eventually have to be replaced, he says, “It will break my heart. Which will retire first – me or the dishwasher?”
To learn more about the superior performance, reliability and lifetime value of Hobart commercial dishwashers and how you can put one to work for your foodservice or retail food operation, visit HobartClean.com or contact a Hobart dealer or sales representative