Church’s Chicken, one of the largest fried chicken restaurant brands in the world, recently recognized its best performing supply partner and distribution center for the year 2017. On Tuesday, September 19, Church’s awarded supply partner, Huhtamaki, Supplier of the Year and Performance Food Group – Little Rock
Distributor of the Year at its annual Excellence in Leadership Conference in Dallas.
The honors were given by vice president of global supply chain for Church’s, Chris Ward.
“We wanted to recognize these two partners as integral components to the Church’s system,” Ward says. “With the challenges faced by all of us on the commodity and labor front, working together to ensure that we deliver value each day for all parties involved is important. They help make it all possible.”
Supplier of the Year
In collaboration with global food packaging specialist, Huhtamaki, Church’s has been able to globally source the paperboard used in producing the Church’s boxes and cartons.
“Their ‘get it done’ attitude is why we are honoring Huhtamaki as a 2017 Excellence in Leadership Conference Supplier of the Year,” Ward told an audience of hundreds, Tuesday. “Huhtamaki has been a strong partner for Church’s Chicken. They provide consistent, high quality products and services while continuing to be cost competitive.”
Paul Lindquist, senior manager of procurement and supply chain for Church’s, and Steve Lash, senior director of distribution and Logistics, joined Ward on stage to give the well-deserved recognition.
“Huhtamaki is proud to receive the award of Supplier of the Year and is very grateful for the recognition,” said Teresa Leonard, national account manager for Church’s at Huhtamaki. “We value our relationship with Church’s and view our partnership as an example of how collaboration, hard work and respect can lead to mutual success. It is a great honor to be chosen as Supplier of the Year.”
Distributor of the Year
Of the 14 distribution centers that serve and support Church’s, Performance Food Group – Little Rock, Arkansas, was chosen as the best in the brand’s system this year. The award was accepted by PFG Little Rock’s Multi-Unit Accounts Manager, Nathan Yoder.
“Setting standards for Food Safety, Food Quality, and On-Time Delivery, determines an individual distribution center’s core,” Ward says. “With 2016 being PFG Little Rock’s first full year of service, the center provided outstanding service and its performance was ranked best in our team.”
Earlier this year, the Church’s Supply Chain team hosted a celebration for PFG – Little Rock’s achievement with a catered luncheon for the staff and warehouse crews at the Little Rock distribution facility.
