The Dairy Queen system announced the recipients of its annual Distributor, Vendor, and Dairy of the Year Awards for the U.S. and Canada. Unified Supply Chain Inc. (USCI), a wholly owned subsidiary of International Dairy Queen Inc. (IDQ), as well as the Canadian (CDQ) Co-op, annually recognize supply chain partners that provide superior service and outstanding support to more than 5,000 Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill locations in the U.S. and Canada.

This year’s recipients are:

·      Dairy of the Year U.S.: Prairie Farms Dairy of Springfield, Illinois, for achieving the highest evaluation score of all authorized dairies that manufacture Dairy Queen mix.

·      Dairy of the Year Canada: The Edmonton branch of Saputo Dairy Products Canada G.P. for surpassing all others with its outstanding performance, from manufacturing and product quality to sales and service.

·      Distributor of the Year U.S.: PFD Supply in St. Louis for superior performance for on-time delivery and warehouse and pricing accuracy.

·      Distributor of the Year Canada: The Edmonton branch of Gordon Food Service Canada for its outstanding performance in customer care and expediency of service.

·      Vendor of the Year U.S.: Schreiber Foods Inc. of Green Bay, Wisconsin, for an exceptional job in managing promotions and offering competitive prices.

·      Vendor of the Year Canada: The North York, Ontario branch of Nestlé Canada Inc. for a superior level of customer care.

“This year’s winners worked diligently to provide our franchisees with exceptional service and were an integral part of the Dairy Queen system's success,” says Rick Shirk, vice president of distribution for USCI.

Through strong alliances with its supply chain partners, the Dairy Queen system has become the treat category leader and one of the leaders in the quick-service-restaurant sector, serving innovative, classic, and cravable treats and food in a family-friendly atmosphere.

“We appreciate the dedication and support of our valued suppliers,” says Gary Mallette, vice president of supply chain for the Canadian CDQ Co-op. 

“We truly value our partnerships with our supplier community and are proud to recognize the significant contributions of this group of outstanding business partners this year,” says USCI chief supply officer Roger Hubbard.