Best Of The Bunch

Our second annual Supplier Pacesetters Awards applaud 13 companies for their outstanding efforts in their categories of expertise.

In store brand retailing, a supplier-retailer partnership isn't just about providing products. The best store brand suppliers help their retail partners succeed in every part of their private label endeavors — from product development to in-store merchandising.

We at Progressive Grocer's Store Brands invited retailers to nominate those store brand suppliers they believe are the best at what they do in 13 different achievement categories. Based on those nominations, we performed our own research to determine the 13 suppliers that truly deserve recognition in our second-annual Supplier Pacesetters Awards program. Read on to learn more about these outstanding partners.

Achievement Category: Order Fulfillment Winner: Global Tissue Group

Sourcing the right household paper products can be a challenge. Retailers have to consider quality, eco-friendliness, size, packaging and more. Thankfully, the Global Tissue Group of Medford, N.Y., is one paper-product manufacturer that can take on even the most challenging order retailers throw at it.

The company makes sure it has the flexibility to change its production schedule at the drop of a hat to accommodate a customer's needs, says Philip Shaoul, the company's chief marketing officer.

Global Tissue will continue to bring product innovation while investing in "the newest technology and equipment," Shaoul notes. For example, the company's new embossing technology with DRIMATIC pockets improves the utility of its paper towels, requiring fewer sheets per cleanup job.

"We are very proud of the award and recognition," Shaoul says. "As you know, fulfillment equals customer satisfaction, which is the cornerstone of our family business. And we will always strive to exceed the level of satisfaction."

Achievement Category: Quality Assurance/Quality Control Winner: Schullsburg Creamery

Before a retailer can take ownership of a product, it must have complete confidence in the product's quality. To Schullsburg Creamery of Schullsburg, Wis., nothing is more important than making sure its retail partners are proud to put their name on a Schullsburg-made cheese. It's no wonder the company's slogan is, "One taste, and you'll get it."

Schullsburg manufactures more than 50 varieties of cheese under its own brands and for retailers' private label programs. And it does so with the "same enduring passion for cheese-making and cheese-eating" it had when it was founded in 1938, according to the company's website. After the cheese is made, it is rigorously graded and tested for flavor, color and consistency.

The company might be small, but it believes the amount of time it invests in creating a quality product is huge.

Achievement Category: A Partnership Relationship With Retailers Winner: Associated Hygienic Products

Duluth, Ga.-based Associated Hygienic Products (AHP) has a reputation for building strong retailer-supplier collaborative relationships and boasts a number of awards from several of its retail partners to prove it.

"We are committed to building customer partnerships through a collaborative approach that it based upon mutual integrity, respect, understanding, compatibility, appreciation and financial benefit," says Chris Ferdock, AHP's vice president of marketing.

The company, which manufactures baby diapers and training pants, always is on the lookout for retail partners that are focused on innovation — rather than duplication — and have a corporate interest in true brand-building efforts, Ferdock explains.

But no matter how many times the company is awarded for its strong partnerships with retailers, it refuses to rest on its laurels. Ferdock says being honored motivates the company to innovate even further.

"In the end, the award leads us to embrace continuous improvement and to be driven by the needs of our customers and consumers," he says.

Achievement Category: Merchandising and/or Promotional Support for Store Brand Products Winner: Cascades Tissue Group

Retailers might lack the deep pockets of a consumer-packaged-goods behemoth, but they do have the support of their store brand suppliers to help them develop effective merchandising programs. Cascades Tissue Group has worked diligently over the last couple of years to help its retail partners here.

The Eau Claire, Wis.-based company has worked especially hard to help its retail partners understand the "whats" and "whens" in promoting store brand household paper products, says Brian Carlson, Cascades' director of marketing, consumer products.

"In addition, we have recently added the ability to review, analyze and recommend planogram revisions to better market their private label brands," he says. "When you combine all the resources that we offer our customers, one can see that we have become true 'partners' with them."

Cascades continues to focus on providing value-added services to its customers — including a full creative department, in-depth market/consumer insights and a powerful sales and marketing group dedicated to helping retailers grow their private label business.

"Receiving this recognition tells us that we are on the right path," Carlson says.

Achievement Category: R&D/Concept Development/Product Innovation Winner: Berner Food & Beverage

Although it develops some national-brand-equivalent products, Roscoe, Ill.-based Berner Food & Beverage is perhaps better-known for its ability to partner with retailers to develop uniquely formulated food and beverage items. The company, which started out as a Swiss cheese manufacturer more than 60 years ago, now offers a wide variety of products for retailers' store brand programs, including aerosol and jar cheese, dips, pasta sauces, ready-to-drink coffee and meal-replacement items.

Berner employs a number of food scientists who are able to modify existing formulations and develop brand new ones, providing both large and small retailers with a "one-stop solution," the company states on its website. It also offers a wide array of packaging solutions and a cutting-edge graphic design department to help differentiate retailers' own-brand products and increase their shelf appeal.

The company partners with one of the world's foremost R&D laboratories to provide its retail partners with all the technical support they need. It's no wonder Berner calls itself "the private label company of the future."

Achievement Category: Packaging Innovation Winner: Mariani Packing Co.

Earlier this year, Mariani Packing Co. — a Vacaville, Calif.-based supplier of premium-quality dried fruit for retailers' store brand programs — introduced the TouchLock closure system. Built into all of the company's stand-up gusseted packaging for dried fruit, the system features a Velco-like self-gripping micro-hook fastener that allows consumers to simply touch to close and lock the bag.

The system was a game-changer in the dried-fruit category, appealing to all consumers — from children to seniors. In fact, the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation awarded Mariani with the Best New Product Innovation Award for the system last May.

Miranda Ackerman, marketing director for Mariani, says the TouchLock innovation is just one of many innovations the company has developed to offer "an improved product experience" to consumers and store brand partners.

Mariani will continue to research and invest in new technologies to offer its store brand partners the best in packaging solutions, Ackerman notes.

"This award validates our position as a leader in innovation to the industry, and it is another key milestone to the Mariani family legacy," she says.

Achievement Category: Responsible Ingredient or Raw Material Sourcing Winner: Clearwater Paper

As the first manufacturer in the United States to offer facial tissue certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), Spokane, Wash.-based Clearwater Paper knows a thing or two about responsible sourcing.

"Becoming [FSC-] certified requires long-term planning and internal resource commitments that not all competitors are willing to make," says Bruce Woodlief, Clearwater's director of marketing.

Woodlief notes that FSC certification is recognized as the "gold standard" among all certification programs for paper and wood products.

"It helps to offer a unique added value to our customers' store brand tissue products," Woodlief says. "Certification is not currently offered by national brands at traditional grocery, mass or drug retail."

Currently, Clearwater's FSC certification covers recycled, premium and ultra-premium paper products. In the near future, the company will add FSC-certified value-tier products to the mix, Woodlief explains.

Receiving a 2011 Supplier Pacesetter award proves that Clearwater is headed in the right direction with its sustainable initiatives, Woodlief notes.

Achievement Category: Responsiveness to Retailer Concerns/Requests Winner: John B. Sanfilippo & Son

Elgin, Ill.-based John B Sanfilippo & Son (JBSS) has an outstanding track record of partnering with retailers to grow sales of their store brand nuts. The company also is known for having an open ear when it comes to its retail partners.

Howard Brandeisky, vice president — global marketing, innovation and customer solutions for JBSS, believes several factors contribute to the company's success here.

"Our investment in consumer insight and an in-house R&D team allows us to bring innovative ideas and solutions to retailers," he says. "We leverage our category management expertise to provide guidance on the category assortment needed to grow the category. Finally, we nail the fundamentals — strong service levels, quality products and commodity expertise."

Although JBSS is best-in-class in its ability to respond to retailers quickly, Brandeisky says the company always is looking for ways to improve.

"To be honest, our best retail partners help make us better," he says. "They do it by sharing their business problems and challenging us to help capitalize on opportunities."

The company also continues to invest in a number of areas to differentiate itself from the competition, including consumer insight, category innovation, quality and its staff.

"John B. Sanfilippo & Son is very honored to receive this award," Brandeisky says. "We are passionate about growing the category for our retail partners, and everyone here appreciates the recognition for the success we have had to date."

Achievement Category: Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing Practices Winner: Musco Family Olive

Musco Family Olive Co. is known for its respect for the environment as much as it is for its table olives. In fact, the Tracy, Calif.-based supplier recently was honored by Crow-California as a California 2011 Leader in Innovation in Energy and Agriculture.

What sets Musco apart in terms of environmentally responsible manufacturing is its Renewable Energy and Wastewater System (RENEWS), says Dan Kelly, vice president of sales at Musco.

"RENEWS is a remarkable system that not only cleans Musco's wastewater, but also creates renewable energy from biomass at the same time," he says. "This is a first-of-its-kind technology [that] exists only at Musco."

According to Kelly, RENEWS converts billions of olive pits to carbon-neutral heat energy each day. That energy is used to evaporate wastewater and drive the largest industrial steam engine in the United States, which is located at Musco's headquarters.

In the near future, RENEWS will be generating 50 percent of Musco's electricity, Kelly points out, adding that the company is working with a number of major retailers to translate its environmental stewardship program to eco-minded consumers.

"We are honored and thrilled to be recognized by the industry and our peers for the best practices that are so important to us, our customers, our employees and consumers," Kelly says.

Achievement Category: Manufacturing Facility Expansion or Retrofit Winner: Indianapolis Fruit Co.

Recently, the Indianapolis Fruit Co. renovated its processing facility with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. As a result, the Indianapolis-based company was able to expand its Garden Cut line of fresh processed fruit and vegetables, which is available for retailers' private label programs.

"It has taken us to the next level [in terms of] food safety and the quality of the products that we're able to produce," says Mike Mascari, president of Indianapolis Fruit. "Improvement in the quality of our products requires investment in the tools necessary to provide our customers new and old with leading-edge products that help them win in their retail markets and facilities."

Indianapolis Fruit also is completing an expansion of the processing facility. The expansion will triple the facility's current square footage, says Shane Towne, marketing and new business development coordinator at Indianapolis Fruit.

"This award is meaningful as it is recognition of the great efforts put forth by our team," Mascari says. "Our commitment to providing the right support to our team helps us to provide award-winning experiences for our customers."

Achievement Category: Social Responsibility Commitment Winner: Rogers Family Company Inc.

For more than 30 years, Rogers Family Company of Lincoln Calif., has dedicated itself to being a socially and environmentally responsible supplier of national brand and store brand coffee. One of the company's many social and environmental initiatives is its Coffee Community Aid program, which a news report once called a "mini-Peace Corps for some of the poorest people in the Western Hemisphere."

Community Aid pays farmers a fixed price — well above the cost of production and average market price — to ensure they stay in business, says Jon Rogers, the company's co-founder and president. And Rogers Family Co. ensures firsthand that all Community Aid funds go directly to thousands of workers and their families.

"We've built thousands of houses, as well as medical facilities, schools and daycare centers," Rogers notes. "We've provided permanent educational programs and scholarships, doctors, nurses, teachers, food and clothing, clean drinking water and energy, and [we have] protected the rainforest, native plants and wildlife."

Rogers says he is "honored and especially thrilled" to be named a 2011 Supplier Pacesetters Award winner.

"We will lead by example," he says.

Achievement Category: Logistics/Transport Optimization Winner: CHEP

When it comes to helping retailers improve their supply chain efficiency, Orlando, Fla.-based CHEP is the leader of the pack. In fact, third-party studies have shown that CHEP has saved U.S. supply chains a total of $2.5 billion dollars since 1990, the company said.

A subsidiary of Brambles Ltd., CHEP provides an unmatched nationwide network of service centers, employing world-class systems and expertise to manage and control its shipping platforms from sourcing through end-of-life, says Derek Hannum, CHEP's director of marketing.

"CHEP develops and implements asset pooling solutions for manufacturers and retailers in the store brand world that ensure reduced product damage, offer enhanced delivery efficiencies, eliminate waste and cut supply chain costs," he says.

And the company is growing. Recently, Brambles Inc. acquired IFCO Systems, a provider of reusable plastic containers in 23 countries, and pallet management services in the United States. The acquisition plays a significant role in the expansion of CHEP's "value-creating product mix," Hannum notes.

"It's important to emphasize that it is a team effort that wins awards like this," he explains. "Our sales, operations, customer service, logistics and marketing groups all work together for the benefit of our clients."

Achievement Category: Community Relations/Community Involvement Winner: Lakeside Foods

Lakeside Foods — a Manitowoc, Wis.-based supplier of canned and frozen vegetables for retailers' private brand programs — understands not only its retail customers needs, but also the needs of the surrounding community. For many years, it has been involved in a number of charitable events focused on feeding the hungry.

"Over the last fiscal year, we [donated] over three truckloads of canned products," says Tom Reilly, Lakeside's vice president of human resources, adding that the number doesn't include the frozen products that also were donated. "We gave that to various charities and food banks throughout the region, including Feeding America, which we have a special relationship with. We've received numerous awards from them over the years."

The company doesn't limit its charitable contributions to the community of Manitowoc, either. In January 2010, it donated 1,904 cases of cut green beans to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

"I'm proud to be an employee at Lakeside and to be a part of such a worthy cause," said Janice Scott, an employee of Lakeside who helped organize the donation. "We hope Lakeside's donation will inspire other companies to do the same and help out where they can."