Tyson Foods Inc. has announced eight companies as winners in its eleventh annual “Supplier of the Year” awards program. The awards were presented at a luncheon at Tyson Foods’ World Headquarters attended by Tyson Foods’ President and CEO Donnie Smith, Senior Vice President of Procurement Melanie Russell, and Senior Vice President of Research & Development Craig Bacon.

Winners of the Supplier of the Year award include:

  • US Petrolon Industrial, Inc., a national supplier of ammonia, air and vacuum oil, and compressors.
  • Bunzl Processor Division, a global supplier of blades and evisceration equipment.
  • Kerry, a supplier of coatings, seasonings, flavors and other functional ingredients.
  • WS Packaging Group, Inc., a supplier of innovative packaging and label solutions.

Additionally, several companies were honored for their excellence in specific areas.

  • Kirby Specialties Corp. of Russellville, Arkansas and Story Construction of Ames, Iowa were named “Contractors of the Year” for their service in the Poultry, Prepared Foods and Fresh Meats divisions.
  • Wild Flavors & Specialty Ingredients was recognized as “Innovation Supplier of the Year” for its strong commitment to culinary, research and development, and application resources.
  • Huffman Sales & Service, LLC, of Erlanger, Kentucky, a minority-owned supplier of precision fabricated after-market parts for OEM machinery and brine injectors, was recognized by Tyson’s Supplier Diversity program as “Diversity Supplier of the Year.”

The recognitions were based on supply-chain performance, total cost of ownership, pricing programs, customer-service performance, innovation, sustainability initiatives, and other performance metrics observed throughout the year.

The theme of the luncheon was centered on the suppliers’ contribution to the success of Tyson Foods. Smith, Russell, and Bacon each addressed the winners, thanking them for their hard work as business partners with Tyson Foods in 2015 and recognizing their renewed focus on innovation and their ability to drive out costs while increasing efficiency.

Source: Tyson Foods Inc.