The winners are...United recognizes produce managers

From the inbox, news of the winners from United's Retail Produce Manager Award Program for this year:



United Fresh Las Vegas 2009 will be the place of honor as 25 outstanding produce managers representing 21 different supermarket chains, commissaries and independent retail stores in 14 states and Canada, are recognized at this year’s convention through the United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program.

This program, generously sponsored by Ready Pac Foods, Inc., pays special recognition to those on the front line in supermarkets working everyday to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. 2009 will mark the program's fifth anniversary.

United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel praised the 2009 winners, saying “these produce managers have had such a positive impact in their stores and in their communities, and we are proud to recognize this special group for their innovation and dedication to our industry.”

The 25 winners were selected from hundreds of nominations submitted by retailers and produce suppliers across the industry.

The 2009 winners are:

Richard Bixler, Brookshire Grocery Co., Sweetwater, Texas
Fernando Bovadilla, Nob Hill Foods, Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, Mountain View, Calif.
Elden Cave, Food Lion, LLC, Dobson, N.C.
Malinda Cleveland, Bashas' Dine' Market, Window Rock, Ariz.
Nan Day, NAS Lemoore Commissary, Lemoore, Calif.
Ronald Flosi, Jewel-Osco, Chicago, Ill.
Uziel Galvez, Safeway Stores, Inc., Hood River, Ore.
Humberto Gonzalez, Ralphs, Los Angeles, Calif.
Dustin Haney, Hy-Vee, Inc., Ankeny, Iowa
Robert Hewett, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Ukiah, Calif.
Chris Hood, Brookshire Grocery Co., Tyler, Texas
Greg Hurst, Vons, San Diego, Calif.
Ron Inatomi, Gelson’s Market, Newport Beach, Calif.
Paula Lucas, Colemans Food Centre, Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada
Jeff Mallory, Hy-Vee, Inc., Olathe, Kan.
Robert Oare, The Kroger Co., Mount Vernon, Ohio
Frank Owens, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., Fairhope, Ala.
Lequitte Perry, Food City, Louisa, Ky.
Abraham Ramirez, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Benicia, Calif.
Donald Rich, Price Chopper Supermarkets/Golub Corp., Burlington, Vt.
John Smith, Brookshire Grocery Co., Ruston, La.
George Tataris, Dominick’s, Park Ridge, Ill.
Scott Theisen, Blue Goose Market, St. Charles, Ill.
Timothy Tremblay, Hannaford Bros. Company, Scarboro, Maine
Brett Warfield, Save Mart, Sonora, Calif.

“Retail produce managers play a key role in how fresh fruits and vegetables are perceived at the consumer level. Ready Pac is proud to once again sponsor this program that recognizes the hard work and dedication shown by these men and women,” said Ready Pac’s President and COO, Michael Solomon. “We look forward to presenting this award to this outstanding group on behalf of a very proud industry.”

Stenzel added, "I'd like to extend a special note of thanks to the entire Ready Pac team for their ongoing support of this program. Thanks to their generosity, we have honored over 100 managers since this program's inception in 2005!"

The winners are selected based on a number of criteria, including their efforts to increase produce consumption through everyday excellence in merchandising, special displays and promotions, community service, and commitment to total customer satisfaction. All winners and their corporate produce directors will be honored at the convention during the Chairman’s Reception & Annual Awards Banquet, Thursday, April 23 at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. During the banquet, five “Grand Prize” recipients will be announced to receive an additional $1,000 cash prize.

Conference attendees will also hear from several of the winners on produce success at the store level during Insights from the Front Line: Produce Managers Speak on Marketing and Consumer Issues, a two-part workshop that takes place at the convention Friday morning, April 24.

Applications for the 2010 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program will be available this fall online at www.unitedfresh.org, with winners to be honored at the 2010 United Fresh convention.

Attendance at the Annual Awards Banquet in Las Vegas is included in the All-Access Convention Pass. Registration is now open online at www.unitedfreshshows.com.