COMPANY HISTORY

Originally incorporated as Commercial Appliances in 1969, Winston's first product was the Collectramatic® Fryer. This revolutionary fryer, developed by company founder Winston Shelton and enthusiastically supported by restaurant legend Colonel Harland Sanders, enabled restaurateurs to cook multiple rounds of chicken without frequent filtration of shortening. Kentucky Fried Chicken soon became the company’s largest customer, and KFC continues to be one of Winston Industries’ most valued customers. In 1972, the company’s name was changed to Collectramatic, Inc. to reflect the continued importance of the pressure fryer as KFC expanded its use, both domestically and internationally.

In the early 1980s, the company began researching better ways to maintain food at a high quality. The result was the development of Controlled Vapor Technology, or CVap®. This patented technology uses a combination of air heat and vapor heat to maintain food at optimum condition. CVap Technology quickly expanded the company’s product line to include cooking and holding cabinets and drawers. To better reflect this expansion, the company’s name was changed to Winston Industries in 1984.