CHICAGO, IL — Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality (CTH), the primary food provider to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), announces its 2011 awards for its Minority And Women-Owned Business (MWBE) Enterprise Program. The Chartwells-Thompson MWBE Vendor Awards Program recognizes the important contribution these companies make to the CPS foodservice program. CTH's reliance on local MWBE businesses is an important economic contribution to Chicago's economy. CTH partners with minority vendor to supply the groceries and paper goods to 473 CPS schools where the company manages the foodservice program.
Winners this year include T&T Foodservice, Inc., Balton Corporation, and The Comfort Cake Company, LLC. "Each year we award our vendor partners for outstanding contributions to the CPS food service program," said Bob Bloomer, regional vice president for Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality. "This year, we have grown the volume of business with our 14 MWBE partners to 62 percent of our total business. We're very please to exceed the 40% requirement for contracts with city agencies."
T&T Foodservice, Inc., located at 3824 S. Morgan Ave., was awarded Preferred Food Vendor of the Year, reflecting their 98% fill rate and recent operations innovations. "This year we have enhanced our on-line ordering system which has allowed us to add new items more quickly," said Eric Thomas, vice president of T&T Foodservice, Inc. "This means we've been able to more easily incorporate Chartwells-Thompson's new food items like the bone-in chicken legs that students love."
Balton Corporation, located at 8016 S. Chicago Ave., was awarded Preferred Non-Food Vendor of the Year, reflecting their operations expansion to accommodate deliveries throughout the city. "We've been able to secure a supply of biodegradable sporks for the CPS program that are more cost effective than the conventional product," said Shari Wilson, president of Balton Corporation. "We're pleased to be part of CPS' efforts to enhance the sustainability of their food service program."
The Comfort Cake Company, LLC located at 1243 S. Wabash Ave., won the award for Preferred Food Item of the Year with their new pizza crust. "We've worked closely with the Chartwells-Thompson team to develop a pizza crust that meets the nutritional requirements and that students enjoy," said Amy Hilliard, president of The Comfort Cake Company, LLC. "The results have been ove3whelmingly positive — the pizzas made with the whole grain crust we provide have become one of the most popular items in high schools."
About Chartwells School Dining Services
Chartwells, a division of Charlotte, NC-based Compass Group provides dining services for over 550 public school districts and private schools, comprising over 6,000 separate elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. For more information about Chartwells School Dining Services, visit www.eatlearnlive.com.
About Thompson Hospitality
With over $370 million in revenue and 3300 employees, Thompson Hospitality is one of the largest minority owned businesses in the United States and the largest minority owned foodservice company in the world. For more information about Thompson Hospitality, visit www.thompsonhospitality.com.
Source: Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality