United Fresh and Dole have announced this year's Retail Produce Manager Awards top 25 honorees.
In its 14th year, the program is representing 25 produce managers from supermarkets, independent retail stores and defense commissaries from 17 states and one Canadian province.
"Produce managers are the face of our industry to the consumer," said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, in a news release. "Their creative merchandising and positive approach to customer service directly correlates to the growth of sales and ultimately consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables."
This year's winners are:
- Mandy Aniciete, Brookshire Grocery Company, Mt. Pleasant, TX
- Clint Baskett, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Sparks, NV
- Laura Boeke, Carter's Supermarket, Walker, LA
- Jack Bogan, Stop & Shop/Ahold, Dedham, MA
- Gustavo Cadena, Grocery Outlet, Richmond, CA
- Paul Calkins, Price Chopper Supermarkets, Latham, NY
- Shelly Carlock, FoodMaxx/The Save Mart Companies, Redding, CA
- Coty Edward Jones, Meijer, South Bend, IN
- Heather Gengler, Hy-Vee, Inc., Springfield, MO
- Tyler Gibson, Food City/K-VA-T Food Stores, Crossville, TN
- William Graham, Nellis AFB Commissary, Las Vegas, NV
- Devon Hoffer, Marketplace Foods, Minot, ND
- Mike Martin, Tops Friendly Markets, Manlius, NY
- Travis Michael, Safeway/Albertsons Companies, Portland, OR
- Wade Michels, Big Y Foods, Inc., Guilford, CT
- Patrick Norman, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Charlotte, NC
- Tony Rivolta, Zehrs Markets, LaSalle, ON, Canada
- Ron Rolston, Friday Harbor Market Place, Friday Harbor, WA
- Patrick Ryan, Roche Bros. Supermarkets, Wellesley, MA
- Justen Sturch, Schnuck Markets, Inc., St. Louis, MO
- Nate Swan, Coborn's, Inc., Sartell, MN
- Bill Taylor, Martin's Super Markets, South Bend, IN
- Daniel Tellier, Metro Ontario Inc., Orangeville, ON, Canada
- Steven Thorp, Southeastern Grocers, LLC, Lakeland, FL
- Steve Waggoner, The Kroger Co. - Dillons Food Stores, Wichita, KS
The winners, and their corporate produce leadership, will be honored guests at the United Fresh 2018 convention June 25-27 in Chicago. In addition to their awards, five Grand Prize recipients will receive a $1,000 cash prize at the Retail-Foodservice Celebration Breakfast on June 27 at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.