The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) honored industry leaders at its Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon during the 2018 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga. The luncheon featured Meat Institute Board of Directors, key industry leaders, representatives from packer and processor companies and award recipients and their families. Greg Schwem, corporate entertainer and author, served as the master of ceremonies.
“The Annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon celebrated the enormous talent and showcased the significant contributions of Meat Institute members and industry leaders,” said NAMI President and CEO Barry Carpenter. “The event provided a unique opportunity to honor the meat and poultry industry’s continued commitment to service, ingenuity and improvement against the backdrop of the world’s largest annual meat, poultry and feed tradeshow.”
Ronald Miniat, chairman of the board, The Miniat Companies, received the E. Floyd Forbes Award in recognition of his record of accomplishments and strong commitment to the meat industry. Mark Festus Miller, Ph.D., professor and SALE endowed chair at Texas Tech University, received the Harry L. Rudnick Educator’s Award in recognition of his role as an educator of future industry leaders and his pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and service activities.
Stephen Quickert, senior manager, food safety, scientific affairs at the Kraft Heinz Company, received the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education Scientific Achievement Award, honoring the significant contributions he has made to advance the scientific knowledge of the meat and poultry industry. The Supplier of the Year Award was presented to Birko Corporation in recognition of the company’s commitment and work to continuously improve and innovate to ensure the safety of today’s food supply.
The Meat Institute also presented Worker Safety Recognition Awards to 91 meat and poultry plants that have achieved high levels of workplace safety performance as part of the industry’s continuing effort to reduce occupational injury and illness rates. Ninety-six companies received Environmental Recognition Awards, honoring their dedication to continuous environmental improvement, as witnessed by the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems.
“The Meat Institute congratulates these exemplary individuals and companies for their impressive achievements” said Carpenter. “Their hard work and innovation will ensure that the industry continues to employ the highest standards and latest technology to produce wholesome, safe, nutritious products that exceed customer expectations.”
Source: NAMI
