The Art of Technical Knowledge 

When you ask Daniel Tsiakos what the Sales and Marketing department does at Univex Corporation, he keeps it simple.

They sell equipment.

But spend a few minutes with him and it becomes clear that what he’s really describing is something far more intentional. It’s a philosophy built on education, trust, and a genuine commitment to putting the right equipment in the right hands.

The Outward-Facing Voice of Univex

The Sales and Marketing team is the outward-facing personality of the company. They’re central in the network of manufacturer’s representatives, authorized dealers, and end users.  They are also the expertise behind it.

That message travels through multiple channels, from social media and digital outreach to direct, in-person relationships built at trade shows, buying groups, and rep training events.

But at the core of every conversation is a consistent goal: keeping Univex top of mind.

“A lot of it is focused around keeping the Univex name in the rep and dealer’s mind,” Daniel explains. “So that when they end up talking to an end user, whether it be a mom and pop or a chain or a commissary, and they start talking about dough or products we sell, they remember Univex.”

Building Trust Through Expertise an Personality

Daniel is straightforward about it: Univex isn’t trying to be the lowest price in the room. The goal is to be the most knowledgeable voice in the conversation.”

Technical sales is the foundation. That means understanding the product deeply enough to verify it’s actually the right fit for what a customer needs.  In-depth qualification prevent service headaches down the road, build real trust with the end user, and turns what could be a traditional sales call into something closer to a consultation.

“When I was doing more active sales, that’s where I was comfortable. Knowing how the product worked, what it was supposed to be used for, and verifying that it’s what the customer is looking for. Even if it’s 10% the same language as the end user, talking about their product or their dough or their bread, I think it builds a lot of trust.”

That commitment to getting it right from the start also means being a resource for the reps and dealers themselves. If they have questions, they call Univex. The team can walk them through it, help them look good in front of their customers, and make sure everyone’s set up for success

A Network Built Over Decades

Univex has been in business since 1948, and the rep and dealer network reflects that history. In the early days, salespeople covered ground the old-fashioned way: calling on accounts directly and building relationships on the road. The military was among the very first customers. Over time, the manufacturer’s representative model developed as a practical solution: a layer of specialized agents who cover defined territories, call on dealers in their region, and carry multiple product lines from various manufacturers.

Buying groups added another dimension. They’re coalitions of dealers pooling their purchasing power to negotiate better terms, a concept Daniel describes as a double-edged sword. The access and visibility are real, but so is the pressure for aggressive pricing.

Open communication and relationships keep both sides of that equation working. Univex invests in rep training events, test kitchen demonstrations, and visits to company headquarters. All of it is designed to make sure that when a rep with a dozen lines on their card walks into a dealer conversation, Univex is the first name that comes to mind.

A Team Built on Different Strengths

The sales team is made up of two distinct personalities, and Daniel values both of them.

TJ comes from a technical background, having worked in the service department before moving to sales. He brings that same hands-on knowledge into every customer conversation, and his relationships tend to build gradually over time, often in the informal settings where the food service industry does a lot of its real business.

Josh comes from a more traditional sales background. He’s energetic and relationship-driven, quick to make a genuine connection in person and a natural at the rapid-fire dealer introductions that define buying group events.

“They have very different strengths and weaknesses, which is common,” Daniel says with a laugh. “I wish I could jam them together into a single person sometimes and then have three of those people.”

The goal going forward is to move beyond individual rep ownership toward a fully shared team approach, where dealer relationships belong to everyone and the right person handles each touchpoint based on fit, not just history.

Where the Team Excels

For the first time in a while, Daniel says, the Sales and Marketing team is genuinely clicking.

“We have a really good team in terms of what each person is trying to cover and manage and do and support each other. I think that’s going to be really exciting as we move forward.”

The open-floor culture helps. Conversations happen naturally, ideas surface in passing, and there’s a collaborative energy that doesn’t require a meeting request to tap into. A weekly cross-departmental meeting which started last year, has helped align everyone across the company. On the sales and marketing side, that kind of easy communication has always been part of how they operate.

Looking Ahead

Daniel’s vision for the next two to three years is straightforward and optimistic.

He wants the whole team to keep deepening their product knowledge. He wants to grow the volume of webinars, increase the number of rep training events, and expand the presence of live demonstrations at test kitchens and rep facilities across the country. And ultimately, he wants the department to get busy enough that Univex has to hire.

“I would love to see everybody be so busy that we have to find additional people to bring in. That’s the goal.”

He believes the foundation to get there is already in place.

The Univex Difference

When asked what he’d want people to understand about Univex from a broader perspective, Daniel comes back to the same themes he talks about every day.

Univex is not a conglomerate. It manufactures in the U.S., using American-made parts wherever possible, from foundry components to finished equipment. It sells based on technical fit, not margin. And when someone picks up the phone, a real person answers.

“You’re going to talk to a person immediately. You have the parts, the service is focused here at headquarters and directed outward. You’re going to get your answers within minutes, if not an hour.”

In an industry increasingly shaped by consolidation and corporate complexity, that kind of accessibility is rare. Daniel knows it. And based on how he talks about the team and what they’re building together, he’s proud of every bit of it.