International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Announces 2018 Distributor Award Winners

CHICAGO — The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) announced the recipients of their 12th annual Distributor Awards, which acknowledge distributor leadership and overall excellence within the foodservice industry. Sysco, Performance Foodservice and Jeff King from Reinhart Foodservice will each be honored at the Distributor Awards ceremony during IFMA's 56th annual Presidents Conference, co-hosted by the National Restaurant Association and the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) in Phoenix, AZ, November 4-6.

"Every year our members nominate the best in distribution for recognition at IFMA's Presidents Conference," said Larry Oberkfell, President and CEO of IFMA.  "These winners have performed at a superior level in a difficult environment and are to be congratulated for setting a new benchmark!"

2018 IFMA Distributor Award Recipients:

Sysco receives the IFMA Excellence in Distribution Award. This award recognizes a corporate or independent distribution organization that has demonstrated excellence in the categories of management, leadership, customer relations, supplier relations and industry/community contributions. Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With over 67,000 associates, the company operates approximately 330 distribution facilities worldwide and serves more than 600,000 customer locations. For fiscal 2018 that ended June 30, 2018, the company generated sales of more than $58 billion.

Sysco was nominated by PepsiCo Foodservice.

Performance Foodservice is awarded the IFMA Distributor Sales & Marketing Performance Award, which recognizes a single independent distributor or an individual operating company of a distributor with multiple locations that has demonstrated successful planning and execution of creative sales and marketing. Performance Foodservice is based out of Richmond, VA, and is one of the largest national broadline foodservice distributors in the United States. Their 36 locations deliver more than 125,000 food and food-related products to 85,000 customer locations across the country. For over 150 years, Performance Foodservice has been right there serving the people on the front lines of foodservice, supporting them every step of the way and helping them become a crazy, line-out-the-door success.

Performance Foodservice was nominated by Stratas Foods

Jeff King is named winner of IFMA's Distinguished Industry Achievement Award,which recognizes leaders who have brought about positive change in the foodservice distribution community and have been pioneers in the areas of management, marketing and operations. Jeff King joined Reinhart Foodservice in 2010 and has led the company as President & CEO since 2015. Jeff has responsibility for the strategic direction of the company and leads the executive team that runs the day-to-day operations for the company's 27 distribution centers, over 5,500 employees, over 600 supplier relationships, and more than 40,000 customers. He also serves on the Board of Directors for both IFDA and DMA.  Under his leadership, Reinhart has repositioned its business and product mix and has substantially increased investment in technology to drive customer retention, resulting in annual core segment volume growth for four years straight.

Jeff King was selected by an executive jury of industry experts.

Join in and celebrate these esteemed recipients at IFMA's 2018 Presidents Conference, November 4-6 in Phoenix, AZ. To learn more about Presidents Conference and the Distributor Awards, visit IFMAworld.com/pc.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) is an established trade association serving foodservice manufacturers for over 65 years to improve industry practices and relationships while equipping every foodservice manufacturer with the tools to navigate their future with confidence. By providing insights, developing best practices and fostering connectivity through events, we enlighten members and motivate change that leads to betterment for the individual member organization and the industry at large. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com. Follow IFMA on LinkedIn, Twitter: @IFMAWORLD and Facebook

Source: International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)