2024 Private Label Hall of Fame: Clay Dockery of Massimo Zanetti
Sixteen leaders from the world of private brands were recently honored as the newest inductees to the Private Label Hall of Fame during a ceremony held during the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s (PLMA) Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Tex. Members of the Class of 2024 are a combination of long-time leaders and up-and-coming visionaries who have provided a strong foundation for an industry that continues to see record-setting growth.
RELATED: The complete list of the Private Label Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Created in 2006 to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private brand industry, this year’s event featured retail and product supplier honorees in four categories. They include Next Gen Private Label Leader, Private Brand Innovator, Private Brand Champion, and Lifetime Achievement.
Clay Dockery
Vice President, Corporate Brand Sales
Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
During his career in the private label industry, Clay Dockery has been committed to not only driving growth at Massimo Zanetti, but he also shared his knowledge and passion industry-wide with the goal of helping others in the world of private label succeed.
A Lifetime Achievement honoree in the Private Label Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024, Dockery is lauded by colleagues for his professional achievements and his relentless dedication and love for the food industry, especially within the private label segment. His pride in the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) as an organization and his stewardship of its overarching goals are evident in every interaction, reflecting a lifetime of achievement and impact in the food industry.
"It is quite a humbling moment to be honored with induction into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “As I know many of the previous lifetime achievement inductees personally, it is quite an honor to be associated with them.”
He joined the PLMA board of directors in 2012 and in the years that followed he dedicated himself to advancing the interests of private brands. His efforts with the association culminated in a two-year tenure as chairman of the PLMA board. During his time with PLMA, he played a pivotal role in recruiting numerous companies to participate in the annual PLMA trade show in Chicago. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dockery’s leadership came to the fore as he provided support to PLMA leadership, ensuring continuity and resilience during unprecedented times.
Among his notable contributions has been advocacy for private brand knowledge and data access. Recognizing the importance of consumer insights, Dockery worked closely with Circana to develop a comprehensive data dashboard covering all consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories. This tool, available to all PLMA members, has empowered companies with invaluable insights into trends and market dynamics, driving innovation and growth across multiple categories such as pasta, coffee, and ingredients.
Beyond his work with PLMA, Dockery championed private label initiatives in companies where the focus was not primarily on private brands. One notable achievement was shepherding the creation and successful launch of private label finished goods within an ingredients-focused international company. Leveraging unique assets, he facilitated partnerships with key retailers such as Whole Foods, Safeway, and Costco, showcasing the potential and value of private label offerings.
“Since getting into the private label industry, I have strived to gain true expertise in the products that I sell from raw material input to packaging materials to cost of production,” Dockery said. “I have always found this to be a critical component of success as is surrounding yourself with the most talented associates that you can hire.”