CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is recognizing several key supplier partners for their exceptional contributions to the company's Corporate Brands business.
Kroger's Corporate Brands portfolio includes thousands of items that customers can only find at its family of stores. These popular products include Kroger brands, Private Selection®, HomeSense®, Comforts®, Mirra® brand and others. These high-quality products offer many affordable choices for grocery and household items.
"Our Supplier of the Year Awards recognize partners that support Kroger's commitment to give shoppers an extensive selection of quality products at good prices," said Linda Severin, vice president of Corporate Brands for Kroger. "We thank all of these award recipients for embracing the spirit of our Customer 1st strategy and helping us drive innovation and excellence in our Kroger brands."
Following are the Supplier of the Year Award categories and honorees for 2011:
•Outstanding Innovator: McCormick & Co., Sparks, Md.
•Outstanding Design Agency: Re:GENERATE Design, Inc., Toronto, Ontario
•Deli: Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J.
•Deli/Bakery: Maple Leaf Bakery, Des Plaines, Ill.
•Drug/GM: Diversified Distribution, Woonsocket, R.I.
•Drug/GM: G&S Metal Products Co. Inc., Cleveland, OH
•Floral: Nature's Flowers, Miami, Fla.
•Meat: Birchwood Foods, Kenosha, Wis.
•Natural Foods: Prime Choice Foods, Bristol, Va.
•Produce: Taylor Farms, Inc., Salinas, Calif.
•Seafood: Trans-Ocean Products, Inc., Bellingham, Wash.
Kroger's Corporate Brands team has recognized its outstanding suppliers every year since 1990. This year, the first two categories were added to recognize these suppliers' unique contributions.
McCormick & Co. received the Outstanding Innovator Award for its collaborative and customer-focused approach to product development. McCormick has been a key Kroger partner for spices and extracts for many years, and the company continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to quality and innovation in product development.
Re:GENERATE Design received the Outstanding Design Agency Award for its part in the effort to update and redesign the Kroger brand line of products. The design firm's experience in retail brand development and its razor-sharp design strategy were key factors in the program's success.
The Corporate Brands team also recognized the following Kroger-operated manufacturing facilities for outstanding quality, reliability and customer service in the Grocery category: America's Beverage Co., Irving, Texas; Springdale Ice Cream & Beverage, Cincinnati; and Layton Dairy, Layton, Utah.
About Kroger
Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,458 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The Company also operates 786 convenience stores, 361 fine jewelry stores, 1,014 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.
Source: The Kroger Co.
