What is in this article?:
- United Fresh 2012: Best in Show
- Restaurant Trends
- Produce Managers Honored
United Fresh 2012 presenters and panelists say produce consumers want engaged associates, and more organic and local fruit and vegetable options.
Produce Managers Honored
DALLAS — The United Fresh Produce Association celebrated the 25 winners of the United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards at the Chairman’s Reception and Annual Produce Celebration Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Dallas on May 1 during the 2012 United Fresh Produce Show.
United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel highlighted the importance of honoring these produce managers, but noted the awards are also about more than the individuals. “It’s about 25,000 stores and more. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where our industry interacts with our customer every day,” he said. “So let’s use this as a model, a model for excellence. A model where we as an industry can satisfy and absolutely delight that consumer every day of the year.”
Six managers were also singled out for a grand prize, each receiving a $1,000 award. The awards program, in its eighth year, was sponsored by Ready Pac.
In alphabetical order, the award winners are:
• Leslie Alex, Hannaford Bros., Dover, N.H.*
• Ricky Allemand, Brookshire Grocery Co., New Iberia, La.
• John Ballard, Food City/K-VA-T Food Stores, Lafollete, Tenn.
• Matt Blair, Price Chopper/Golub Corp., Cicero, N.Y.
• Phil Burgess, Safeway Stores, Bend, Ore.
• Brian Burrow, Brookshire Grocery Co., Whitehouse, Texas*
• Franklin Bys, Hy-Vee, Coralville, Iowa
• James Campbell, Sunflower Farmers Market, Denver
• Brian Collegnon, Rueben’s County Market, Hartford, Wis.
• Corey Conrad, Colemans Food Centres, Corner Brook, Newfoundland
• Brian Corbitt, Bel Air Market/Raley’s Family of Fine Food Stores, Sacramento, Calif.
• Jolene Cyr, Food Maxx/Save Mart Supermarkets, Fairfield, Calif.*
• Ron Danielson, Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, Woodland, Calif.
• Chad Faulk, Harris Teeter, Charlotte*
• John Heon, Big Y Foods, Lee, Mass.
• Rich Jackson, Quality Food Centers, Sammamish, Wash.
• Steve Kaminski, Jewel-Osco, Westmont, Ill.
• Charmagne Kendrick, VG’s Food Center/Spartan Stores, Fenton, Mich.
• Jim Kesteloot, Harris Teeter, Reston, Va.
• Michael Kolek, Jewel-Osco, Schaumburg, Ill.
• Brian Langdon, Kroger Co., Cincinnati
• Mike McElmeel, Hy-Vee, Silvis, Ill.*
• Elizabeth Myers, New River MCAS Commissary, Jacksonville, N.C.
• Wanda Ivy Nicholas, Travis Air Force Base Commissary, Travis, Calif.
• Nick Puleo, Vons, San Diego*
*Grand prize winners
