United Fresh Produce Association announced today that it is now accepting applications for its annual Retail Produce Manager Awards Program.  The program, now in its fifth year, will honor 25 retail produce managers at the store level and include their corporate produce directors in formal recognition at the United Fresh, Las Vegas 2009 show, April 21-24. 

"The continual support from supermarket executives to honor their front-line produce staff has been tremendous," said United Fresh President Tom Stenzel.  "Every year senior retail executives attend the awards ceremony to show their support for their winners.  Great employees, empowered by their management, make a huge difference in store sales," he said.

For the fifth straight year, Ready Pac Foods, Inc. will be the sole sponsor of the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program.  "Retail produce managers are truly on the front lines of our industry.  What they do at the point of sale makes a difference to consumers and to everyone along the produce supply chain," said Michael Solomon, president and CEO of Ready Pac Foods, Inc.  "Ready Pac believes in the work that these produce managers do and we are proud to sponsor the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program."

The 25 award winners and their corporate produce directors will receive complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations, and registrations to the United Fresh show, including the United Fresh Marketplace and United FreshTech expos.  The winners will be honored at the Chairman’s Reception & Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 23 where five grand prize winners will be announced as recipients of an additional $1,000 cash prize. To attend the banquet and the expos, purchase the All Access Convention Pass when you register at www.unitedfresh.org. 

All United Fresh member companies are eligible to submit applications.  "Retail companies use this program to honor their own, but commissions, marketing boards, wholesalers, processors and other produce companies also submit applications as a way of recognizing store level managers," said Amy Philpott, vice president of communications at United Fresh.  

Nominations for the 2009 Retail Produce Manager Award are due by February 27, 2009 and forms are available online.  Visit www.unitedfresh.org for a copy of the selection criteria and a list of past winners since 2005.

The 2008 Retail Produce Manager Award winners included:

·         ROBERT CARDWELL, Raley's, Fairfield, CA

·         GARY CLAY, Raley's, Santa Rosa, CA

·         KEVIN COLLIGAN, Brookshire Grocery Co., Lafayette, LA

·         TERRY COX, Foodtown Supermarket, Lambertville, MI

·         EDDIE DUNCAN, Food Lion, LLC, Gate City, VA

·         TODD FENTON, Safeway Stores, Inc., Seaside, OR

·         BRIAN GAB, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., Chalmette, LA

·         JAKE HARDING, Hy Vee, Inc., Omaha, NE

·         NEIL HARTLEY, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Kill Devil Hills, NC

·         ANGELA HOPSON, K-VA-T Foods, Big Stone Gap, VA

·         AMY KIRK, Safeway Stores, Inc., University Place, WA

·         MARK LEUNG, Smith's Food & Drug Center, Midvale, UT

·         HARRY LEWIS, Luke AFB Commissary, Glendale, AZ

·         PAUL LOPEZ, Vons, Paso Robles, CA

·         DAVID MEIER, Safeway Stores, Inc., Auburn, CA

·         JAMES MOLLOY, Hannaford Bros. Company, Nashua, NH

·         JOHN MONAHAN, Price Chopper Supermarkets/Golub Corporation,   Marlborough, MA

·         KEN PECHE, BKT Sentry Foods, Wakesha, WI

·         GREG REINHART, Hy Vee, Inc., Marshall, MN

·         NANCY RIEKENA, The Kroger Co.., Peoria, IL

·         JULIE RODRIGUEZ, Smith’s Food & Drug Center, Bozeman, MT

·         BERNARD ROGERS, Jewel Osco, DeKalb, IL

·         JOHN SCHWENK, Bristol Farms, Newport Beach, CA

·         RICHARD THOMPSON, Meijer, Okemos, MI

·         ISMAEL VELA, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Edinburg, TX

The United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program

 is generously sponsored by Ready Pac Foods, Inc.