Retail Produce Manager Awards Program
Honoring the Produce Industry's Front  Line

Sponsored by

The United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program pays special recognition to those on the front-line in supermarkets working everyday to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Now in its sixth year, United Fresh is proud to extend the produce industry's thanks to supermarket produce managers!

The Retail Produce Manager Awards Program recognizes 25 winners each year.  The 25 winners AND their corporate produce directors will receive FREE:

• Registration to United Fresh 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Airfare to and from Las Vegas during the show
• Up to two nights lodging
• All winners will be recognized at the United Fresh Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, April 22
• 5 grand prize winners to be announced in Las Vegas will receive $1,000 in cash

“The team at Brookshire believes this is an extraordinary opportunity to recognize our managers for their great work throughout the year.  Within our own company, we've started to see growing competition among our managers who are vying for this prestigious award.  It has literally raised the bar in many of our stores."

- Mark Walden, Vice President - Retail Perishable Operations, Brookshire Grocery Company

This program is an opportunity for the industry and supermarket management to:

• Salute produce managers who are our industry’s front-line sales team
• Recognize key associates at no cost!
• Recognize winning supermarkets as produce leaders, with produce directors also receiving complimentary United Fresh 2010 registration and travel to Las Vegas

How the Program Works

• Download a nomination form (PDF or Word)
• Nominations must be approved by the retail produce director or company
• Nominations should be submitted to United Fresh no later than Febuary 1, 2010
• Winners are selected by an impartial team of produce marketing experts
• Winners and their Corporate Produce Directors attend the United Fresh convention, April 20-23, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Submitting Nomination Materials
Nominations must be received by United no later than February 1, 2010. Please email all electronic submissions to Julie Jacocks at jjacocks@unitedfresh.org. Please submit electronic nomination forms in Microsoft Word or PDF. Electronic photos should be sent as .jpg files. Photos and other collateral will not be returned and may be used as promotional materials.

Mail paper submissions and/or CDs to: Julie Jacocks, United Fresh Produce Association; Attn: Retail Produce Manager Awards; 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1100; Washington, DC 20006.

Selection Criteria
Nominations will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Commitment to customer satisfaction and promoting fresh produce
• Innovative merchandising, special displays and sampling programs, such as participation in Fruits and Veggies: More Matters campaigns, commodity promotions, and more
• Produce-related community service or outreach, such as adopt-a-school programs, school tours, community service projects, and more
• Recognition among peers within your company

Companies may nominate multiple store produce managers but former winners are not eligible.

Click here to download the complete 2010 program brochure.

While only a few of the many thousands of produce managers across the country can be recognized through this program, United Fresh salutes every produce manager working on the front lines of our industry to promote the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables and the better health of their customers.

This program honors all of their efforts and serves to promote role models of excellence across our industry.

For more information or questions about the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program, please contact Victoria Backer, sr. vice president, member services, at United Fresh.

United Fresh congratulates the 2009 Retail Produce Manager Award Winners:

2009 Retail Produce Manager Award Winners
RICHARD BIXLER, Brookshire Grocery Co., Sweetwater, TX
FERNANDO BOVADILLA, Nob Hill Foods, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Mountain View, CA
ELDEN CAVE, Food Lion, LLC, Dobson, NC
MALINDA CLEVELAND, Bashas' Dine' Market, Window Rock, AZ
NAN DAY, NAS Lemoore Commissary, Lemoore, CA
RONALD FLOSI, Jewel-Osco, Chicago, IL
UZIEL GALVEZ, Safeway Stores, Inc., Hood River, OR
HUMBERTO GONZALEZ, Ralphs, Los Angeles, CA
DUSTIN HANEY, Hy-Vee, Inc., Ankeny, IA
ROBERT HEWETT, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Ukiah, CA
CHRIS HOOD, Brookshire Grocery Co., Tyler, TX
GREG HURST, Vons, San Diego, CA
RON INATOMI, Gelson's Market, Newport Beach, CA
PAULA LUCAS, Colemans Food Centre, Stephenville, NF, Canada
JEFF MALLORY, Hy-Vee, Inc., Olathe, KS
ROBERT OARE, The Kroger Co., Mount Vernon, OH
FRANK OWENS, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., Fairhope, AL
LEQUITTE PERRY, Food City, Louisa, KY
ABRAHAM RAMIREZ, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Benicia, CA
DONALD RICH, Price Chopper Supermarkets/Golub Corp., Burlington, VT
JOHN SMITH, Brookshire Grocery Co., Ruston, LA
GEORGE TATARIS, Dominick's, Park Ridge, IL
SCOTT THEISEN, Blue Goose Market, St. Charles, IL
TIMOTHY TREMBLAY, Hannaford Bros. Company, Scarborough, ME
BRETT WARFIELD, Save Mart, Sonora, CA

Find out more about the past Retail Produce Manager Award Winners:

2008 Award Winners
2007 Award Winners
2006 Award Winners
2005 Award Winners