Prestigious Partners
When it comes to helping retailers build successful store brand programs, some suppliers do much more than simply provide products. These exceptional private label suppliers partner with retailers to help them with everything from product development to promotional support.
This is why we at Progressive Grocer's Store Brands ask retailers each year to nominate the store brand suppliers they believe are the best at what they do in 13 different achievement categories. Based on those nominations, we perform our own research to determine the suppliers that truly deserve recognition. Read on to learn more about the companies that came out on top in our third annual Supplier Pacesetters Awards.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Order Fulfillment
WINNER Red Gold
When it comes to getting a product shipment from the warehouse to the customer on time and in perfect condition, Elwood, Ind.-based Red Gold doesn't limit responsibility to a single department.
"Everyone — from our production-line workers to the CEO — is focused on exceeding our customers' needs," says Dewey Angell, product marketing manager, Red Gold.
Delivering exceptional customer service is one of the "core pillars" of success for Red Gold, he explains. By thoroughly training and continually being involved with its employees, the company always strives to improve its operations to exceed customer expectations.
"Customers know they can rely on Red Gold to deliver products on time and complete," Angell notes. "[This] allows for our products to be in position for last-minute promotional opportunities."
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Quality Assurance/Quality Control
WINNER Tower Laboratories
To truly stand behind its brands, a retailer must have complete confidence in product quality. Therefore, it needs to make sure its supplier partners are able to meet every specification to create a product that meets or exceeds shopper expectations.
With retail giants such as Walmart, Kroger, Target and Walgreens as its customers, Tower Laboratories, Centerbrook, Conn., understands the importance of making sure its effervescent products perform to retailers' exact specifications.
"Tower has a longstanding history with regard to our commitment to quality and continuous improvement," says Don Mesite, vice president, administration for Tower. "This commitment translates into quality products and efficient business processes that allow us to bring value to our customers."
Tower invests strongly in the tools needed to meet its customers' product specifications. According to its website, the company boasts more than 220,000 square feet of manufacturing space that houses state-of-the-art development, analysis and processing equipment. At all levels of development and production, it guarantees product purity, consistency, uniformity and effectiveness.
"Retailers are putting more and more emphasis on their store brands, and they are demanding quality products for their labels," Mesite notes. "They know that we embrace this strategy and do our best to execute against it."
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY A Partnership Relationship with Retailers
WINNER Bay Valley Foods
With more and more retailers focusing on consumer trends to develop innovative private label products, retailer-supplier collaboration is critical to achieving store brand success. And according to Harry Overly, senior vice president, marketing with Platteville, Wis.-based Bay Valley Foods, his company truly understands the importance of such collaboration.
"Bay Valley Foods is driven to offer solutions to a variety of retailer needs, including supply chain/logistics, innovative products, customized offerings, consumer insights and category management," he explains. "We have been successful in working with retailers to develop innovative and differentiated programs to connect with their consumers."
Moving forward, Overly says Bay Valley Foods intends to continue to reinforce its expertise in consumer insights, innovation, category management and supply chain effectiveness. The company's goal is to be able to provide the "best possible service and strategic vision" to its retail partners.
"[This] will maximize the performance of their respective categories and businesses through the broad range of products in our portfolio," he notes.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Merchandising and/or Promotional Support for Store Brand Products
WINNER Immotion Studios
Although it started as the package design department of its parent company, Fort Worth, Texas-based Marketing Management Inc., Immotion Studios has grown into a full-service agency that partners with retailers to provide them with total brand development and support, says Lindsey Hurr, vice president of Immotion and a certified brand strategist.
"Our relationship with MMI and our on-site teams at our accounts often gives us ground-level understanding of the accounts' objectives," she explains. "Therefore, we are able to provide comprehensive solutions for brand launches, redesigns or promotional ideas in order to continually support one of our clients' biggest assets: their brand."
Case in point: In May, Kansas City, Kan.-based Associated Wholesale Grocers said it turned to Immotion to help create not only the design and photography for Superior Selections — a new (at the time) brand of upscale products boasting more than 100 SKUs — but also the promotional materials.
Hurr says the fact that Immotion has been working with most of its accounts for many years is a testimony to the company's success in developing and promoting brands.
"I believe they look to us to provide new ideas to stimulate trial and create consumer loyalty for their brands," she says.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY R&D/Concept Development/Product Innovation
WINNER Select Store Brands
Whether it's a molcajete roja salsa for the wall deli or a roasted wasabi soy edamame blend for the freezer case, every store brand product developed by Ontario, Calif.-based Select Store Brands is made to differentiate.
"When I walk into a retailer, I simply say, 'If it's on your shelves already, that's not the business I want. I am here to provide something shoppers cannot find anywhere else!'" says Bobby Ray, vice president, retail and private brands, Select Store Brands. "We truly partner with our customers."
Ray, an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, says he has worked for a number of "terrific" CPG companies throughout his career. But never before has he seen a company with as strong of a commitment to developing truly unique products as Select Store Brands.
"Every time I work with our culinary or R&D group, I am amazed at the never-before-seen products they have developed for America's elite retailers," he explains.
To stay on the cutting edge, Select Store Brands is in the process of building a brand new culinary and R&D facility. Ray says his company will find "top-shelf personnel" to man the new facility and help maintain Select Store Brands' commitment to R&D excellence.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Packaging Innovation
WINNER Tetra Pak
Over the past 60 years, Tetra Pak, Vernon Hills, Ill., has changed entire product categories, influenced competitors and redefined the role of packaging companies. The company thinks outside the box when developing packaging concepts for its retail partners, says Suley Muratoglu, the company's vice president, marketing and management.
"In order to stay ahead, Tetra Pak has an R&D process that … borrows from some of the most innovative industries — like auto and technology," he explains, noting that by doing so, the company is able to look "a full decade" into the future and develop 30 to 40 innovative packaging concepts per year.
When creating such innovative concepts, Tetra Pak takes four criteria that are equally critical to its customers into consideration: their brand, their mark on the planet, their performance and their product's needs, Muratoglu says.
"Simultaneously, when approaching innovation, we take into consideration elemental consumer influences and the varying degrees to which they come together to drive purchasing," he explains. "Taken together, these thought processes and overall approach to innovation are responsible for influencing and directly giving rise to packaging solutions that are revising the way in which the world consumes beverages and food."
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Responsible Ingredient or Raw Material Sourcing
WINNER Clearwater Paper
Clearwater Paper knows a thing or two about sourcing raw materials responsibly. After all, the Spokane, Wash.-based company is the first manufacturer in the country to provide facial tissue certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
But becoming FSC-certified isn't easy, says Bruce Woodlief, Clearwater's director of marketing. It requires long-term planning and internal resource commitments not all competitors are willing make.
"It took several years for us to align ourselves with chain-of-custody pulp suppliers who could help us meet the stringent requirements of FSC certification," he explains.
According to Woodlief, FSC certification is recognized as the "gold standard" among all certification programs for paper and wood products. And Clearwater uses that certification to offer "a unique added value" to its customers' store brand products.
"We find that retail customers are requesting increased innovation to differentiate their private label product offerings," he says. "Product certification through FSC and Rainforest Alliance adds a relevant product attribute to tissue for today's environmentally conscious consumer."
Woodlief says his company is extremely honored to receive a Supplier Pacesetter award in this category for three years in a row.
It's a nice recognition for something that we strongly believe will be a category standard in the coming years," Woodlief states.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Responsiveness to Retailer Concerns/Requests
WINNER Associated Hygienic Products
Duluth, Ga.-based Associated Hygienic Products (AHP) strongly values its relationships with retailers across the country. So when a customer calls with concerns about a product, the company takes the situation quite seriously.
"[We have] a strong commitment to providing consumers with best-in-class performance with a focus on features such as leakage protection and fit," says Chris Ferdock, vice president of marketing with AHP. "This is the foundation to gaining the trust of new mothers."
AHP also boasts a wealth of expertise in both the diaper and training pants categories and their consumer base, which Ferdock says allows the company to provide meaningful insight and counsel when retail partners have a question.
"Based on recent trends in the category, it is clear that the importance of a well-rounded and -focused supplier has never been more important in building partnerships with our retailers," he explains. "We work directly with our retailers to develop unique private label programs — including product design, mix, merchandising and consumer advertising — to deliver a powerful message to build store traffic, consumer loyalty and market share."
This award marks AHP's third Supplier Pacesetter award — it won an award in the "A Partnership Relationship with Retailers" category in 2010 and 2011.
"This award signifies that we are living our vision and principles — and our customers recognize our efforts," Ferdock says.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing Practices
WINNER Musco Family Olive (tie)
From water recycling to installation of a one-of-a-kind renewable energy and wastewater system, Tracy, Calif.-based Musco Family Olive Co. takes its commitment to the environment as seriously as it takes its commitment to packing high-quality table olives.
"At Musco, we are very proud of our achievements in environmental sustainability," says Felix Musco, the company's CEO. "Our entire operation is focused on resource conservation — from our processing facility, which features a closed-loop water system and energy-producing olive pit biomass furnace, to our packaging, through the use of less cardboard and streamlined production systems."
The company measures and works to improve its sustainable practices "weekly, daily and hourly," Musco states. It recently received a comprehensive ethical-sourcing certification from SQF, ensuring that all of its resources are ethically and sustainably procured.
"This makes a huge impact on our complete supply chain," he explains.
The company also works with its growers to help them embrace "new and sustainable practices" that help protect California's farmland and sustain olive crops.
Musco says he is honored to receive a Supplier Pacesetter award in the same category two years in a row.
"It validates our long-term commitment to environmental sustainability, which is critical to all food businesses, and furthers our enthusiasm to do more for our customers, consumers and the planet," he says.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing Practices
WINNER West Liberty Foods (tie)
These days, more and more companies are dabbling with ways to reduce their carbon footprint. But West Liberty Foods went above and beyond with its sustainability efforts, with two of its three manufacturing facilities — located in Tremonton and Mount Pleasant, Iowa — achieving "landfill-free" status from NSF International. Michelle Elizondo, marketing manager with the West Liberty, Iowa-based company, says the facilities together have prevented 5.5 million pounds of trash from entering the waste stream.
"Not many organizations have manufacturing facilities that are 'landfill-free,' and, to my knowledge, West Liberty Foods is the first company to have been certified 'landfill-free' by an independent organization," says Michelle Elizondo, marketing manager with the West Liberty, Iowa-based company.
Retailers want to know that the companies producing their private label products are doing all they can to protect the country's limited natural resources, she explains. And with West Liberty Foods' certification, the company's partners know and understand the company's commitment to a better tomorrow.
Speaking of the future, Elizondo mentions that West Liberty Foods plans to have its third manufacturing facility certified "landfill-free" by the end of the year.
"Very shortly, our entire company will be 'landfill-free,'" she points out.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Manufacturing Facility Expansion or Retrofit
WINNER Shandiz Natural Foods
Earlier this year, Markham, Ontario-based Shandiz Natural Foods doubled the size of its production facility and installed state-of-the-art high-speed bar production equipment. This expansion allows the manufacturer to produce approximately two million bars per week in its BRC and organic-certified facility.
"The investment in space and equipment is necessary in order to meet the growing demand of our clients all over the globe for wholesome snack bars," said a Shandiz representative in a November 2011 press release.
Steven Diakowsky, president and CEO of Shandiz, notes that a substantial portion of the company's expanded resources is dedicated to the research, development and enhancement of its various natural and organic snack bars.
"[This] allows us to be extremely flexible, responsive and accommodating to customizing formulations, ingredient decks and certifications/qualifications for our store brand customers," he explains.
Diakowsky says Shandiz will continue to invest heavily in its facility — "a facility that allows for considerable growth with minimal effort," Diabowsky says.
"Our facility uses equipment that we can configure easily to meet the requirements of Shandiz and our clients," he explains.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Social Responsibility Commitment
WINNER Distant Lands Coffee
Tyler, Texas-based Distant Lands Coffee — which owns and operates several farms and mills throughout Latin America — understands that the wellbeing of its workers is directly tied to the quality of the coffee it grows, harvests and roasts. According to its website, the store brand coffee supplier pays significantly higher wages than many other growers do; it provides modern housing for a number of its workers and their families; it actively supports surrounding communities' public works; and it even runs its own fully equipped dental and medical clinic.
"We have been dedicated to environmental and social responsibility at origin for over 30 years," says Debbie Carolan, director of marketing for Distant Lands Coffee. "We produce high-quality coffee and believe that taking care of the coffee farmers and their families is a way to ensure that they will be dedicated to the quality of the coffee they grow, pick and process. Because of our vertical integration and commitment to quality, we can guarantee our customers a consistently high-quality, premium coffee."
Moving forward, Carolan says Distant Lands plans to continue its dedication to sustainability at origin through expanded projects in Colombia and Costa Rica.
"We will continue our focus on social responsibility by supporting local schools that are attended by coffee farmers' families and continue with our Rainforest Alliance certification," she explains.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Logistics/Transport Optimization
WINNER RJW Transportation
Led by Scott Oehlberg, a Walmart veteran and former initiative manager for a leading store brand manufacturer, RJW Transport's Private Label Division understands the importance of running lean and mean on the logistics front. According to a spokesperson for the Woodridge, Ill.-based company, this "multi-industry expertise" helped lay the foundation for "outside-the-norm and innovative thinking" the company offers in the areas of supply chain, transportation and consolidation.
"RJW can understand and know the needs of our customers — from sourcing materials all the way to the checkout — and the challenges they face," the spokesperson says. "We aim to have a central location that can serve as a resource that brings retailers and suppliers together and [works to create] a more efficient and cost-saving relationship for both — which ultimately leads to higher sales for all involved."
Going forward, RJW plans to continue its industry leadership by never being satisfied with the norm and always being up on the latest trends in both the overall retail industry and the private label sector, the spokesperson points out.
"We will strive with our strong leadership to push the boundaries on creative ideas and stand at the top with all of the companies that we currently serve by continuing to be that secret weapon' bringing value-added, knowledge-based and cost-saving ideas to the industry," the spokesperson explains.
ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORY Community Relations/Community Involvement
WINNER C&S Wholesale Grocers
In August, the employees of Keene, N.H.-based C&S Wholesale Grocers and its family of companies completed another successful workplace-giving campaign, raising more than $1,190,000 for the charitable non-profit United Way of America. During the same month, the company said it also held a charity golf outing that raised $1.2 million to benefit organizations helping children who are battling cancer and nonprofits addressing childhood hunger and nutrition.
Gina Goff, senior director of community involvement with C&S, says giving back is one of her company's core values.
"It's our vision — which includes an America where every family has nutritious food and where communities are healthy and vibrant — that we believe sets us apart. Our leadership in the food and logistics industry, and our focused initiatives around hunger, children and families, the environment and volunteerism propel our belief that we're in a position to make a difference."
Undoubtedly, the impact of C&S' community involvement enhances the company's business proposition with both retail customers and vendors, Goff explains.
"As corporate citizens, we all have a role in advancing social issues," she notes. "We're inspired by how that takes shape at both ends of the supply chain at supermarkets or at independently owned stores — and by food manufacturers."
Goff says C&S is honored to receive a Supplier Pacesetter award in this category for the second time — the company first won an award here in 2010.
"It's wonderful to be recognized for creating and inspiring positive change," she states.
