Our History | The Hansen Group

The Hansen Group embodies a rich legacy of over six decades dedicated to serving the hospitality industry. Founded in 1957 by Austin Hansen, the company initially focused on providing expert consultation for concept development in the Southeast. Austin's profound expertise in addressing the comprehensive needs of foodservice equipment operations quickly gained recognition. Partnering with Cambro as the first manufacturer, Austin expanded his reach across eight states, later adding Fischer Steam Equipment and Delfield to his portfolio in the early 1960s.

The company's success continued to flourish over the years, with the addition of key members like Cris Hansen, Phil Kenny, Mark Hansen, Jim Myers, and Tony Thompson. This core group rebranded as The Hansen Group, solidifying its position as a leading Rep firm in the Southeast. In 1996, Austin retired, passing the baton to Cris and PK, who later welcomed Wayne Jones and Dave Schwefler to the team.

Under new leadership in 2010, Wayne and Dave steered the company into its third generation of ownership. A milestone merger with RepsSouth in 2014 brought Dennis Elliot on board as an additional partner. After a successful tenure, Dennis handed over leadership to Kristin Bishop, marking a historic moment as the first female partner in THG history. In 2023, Michael Riley joined as the fourth partner, overseeing the THG West territory. Today, The Hansen Group Team remains committed to delivering top-notch service to customers across Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, the Florida panhandle, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Proudly representing manufacturers known for producing top-quality products, we offer tailored consultation services, design support, culinary facilities, and hands-on training for dealers and end-users alike.

1950 - Austin Hansen & Associates established in 1957
- Cambro’s first representatives
- Austin Hansen - Original Board Member of MAFSI
1960 - Developed 7 State territory.
- Began representing Delfield Refrigeration
- Austin Hansen becomes the 16th MAFSI President.
1970 - Phil Kenny "PK" is added to sales team
- Austin's eldest son, Cris, joins sales team
1980 - Austin's youngest son, Mark, joins sales team
- THG is awarded Cambro Manufacturing President's Award
1990 - Cris and PK become partners renaming the company "The Hansen Group"
- Austin retires
2000 - Wayne Jones & Dave Schwefler join the sales team
- Began representing Enodis, now known as Welbilt
2010 - Wayne and Dave become Partners
- Merged with Repsouth; Dennis Elliot becomes Partner
- Cris Hansen retires
- Wayne Jones becomes Managing Partner
2010 - Relocates to 25,000 sq ft headquarters in Duluth, GA
- Merged with SEMA Reps
- The Hansen Group Distribution is founded and established
2020 - Became Members of National Strategic Alliance: Paradigm
2022 - Dennis Elliot retires
- Kristin Bishop becomes the first female Partner in THG history
2023 - THG announces representation of The Middleby Corporation Brands & expands into the MAFSI 14 region
- THG promotes Michael Riley to Partner in MAFSI 14
2024 - THG is awarded Cambro Manufacturing 2024 President’s Award
2025
- THG announces acquisition of Elevation Foodservice

- Expands into the MAFSI 20 region of Arizona, Colorado, El Paso, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming