Asbury Worldwide, a new company from veteran appliance industry leader Neal Asbury, has launched new brands for the commercial foodservice and consumer appliance markets.
Asbury Worldwide’s new brands are Mercator, serving the commercial foodservice industry with a wide range of appliances; Merlin Health and Wellness, offering premium appliances for health-conscious consumers and modern kitchens.
Asbury serves as CEO of Asbury Worldwide, and his sister and longtime business partner, Teresa Asbury, serves as president of the company.
An earlier iteration of Asbury Worldwide was launched by Neal Asbury in 1988 as a commercial foodservice producer and distributor serving Southeast Asia. He sold that business to foodservice manufacturer Middleby, which later abandoned the Asbury Worldwide trademark, enabling Asbury to bring it back for the new appliance enterprise.
The Asburys launched Legacy Companies in 1998 as a commercial foodservice appliance business with Neal at the helm as CEO and Teresa leading the foodservice equipment group as its president.
Neal Asbury
Mercator Ice Maker
Neal Asbury expanded the Legacy business through acquisitions and organic development into a leading supplier of retail home appliances and housewares under such brands as Omega, ChefsChoice, Excalibur, West Bend, Avanti, Zerol, Yonanas and Vinturi.
Neal Asbury said decades of global appliance manufacturing and marketing expertise align with longstanding marketplace relationships to support Asbury Worldwide’s mission to bring “thoughtfully engineered equipment to market at highly competitive price points, with a focus on performance, reliability and practical design.”
“We’ve built (Mercator and Merlin) to meet the evolving needs of both commercial operators and everyday consumers — combining quality manufacturing with pricing that helps our customers get more from their investment,” he said.
Teresa Asbury added, “Our goal is to build brands around what customers truly need. By listening to the market and focusing on quality, value and practical performance, we can deliver products that make dependable equipment more accessible to businesses and consumers.”
We’ve built (Mercator and Merlin) to meet the evolving needs of both commercial operators and everyday consumers — combining quality manufacturing with pricing that helps our customers get more from their investment.
– Neal Asbury
Mercator offers the foodservice market a comprehensive lineup of commercial equipment, including refrigeration, cooking, ice machines, concession and food-preparation solutions. The products ship out of Asbury Worldwide warehouses in Charleston, SC, and Cyprus, CA. The Mercator products are engineered for durability, consistent performance and ease of use in high-volume environments, according to the company.
The new Merlin Health and Wellness consumer appliance program, developed to support healthy lifestyles at home, launches with high-performance juicers (pictured top), as well as food dehydrators and blenders. Neal Asbury said he plans to selectively extend the Merlin appliance range with premium products that fit the brand’s wellness positioning while presenting a balance of high performance, simplicity and modern design.
Noting how the company’s commercial foodservice lineage influences its home countertop appliances, Asbury said the crossover between commercial and consumer kitchen development factors into the Merlin strategy.
“The world of consumer is entering the consumer space. There is a lot of connectivity,” Asbury said. “Look at some of the really great brands in kitchen appliances; their roots are in commercial. Our consumer products are built for someone who appreciates commercial quality and design.”
Merlin and Mercator products are available through brand websites, authorized dealers and distributors, and leading e-commerce platforms, the company noted. Additional online marketplace and selective upmarket retail availability is coming soon, the company added.
