International Bottled Water Association | NEWS RELEASE | November 10, 2016
Award winners named at 2016 IBWA Annual Business Conference
Nashville, TN – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has announced winners of eight prestigious awards at its 2016 IBWA Annual Business Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
IBWA Board Member and Convention Committee Co-Chair Dan Kelly made the announcement for winners of the 2016 Route Salesperson of the Year, Plant Manager of the Year (2), Supplier of the Year, Product Innovation, Board of Directors, and Advocacy (2) awards during the conference general session, attended by more than 300 IBWA members.
“These winners truly represent excellence within the bottled water industry and IBWA’s membership,” said IBWA President Joseph Doss.
“As ambassadors of the bottled water industry, route salespeople are often seen as the face of the industry because they are on the front lines of customer service, having direct and daily interactions with customers,” said Mr. Kelly.
“Plant managers are also on the front lines in the critical role of ensuring safe and quality bottled water products are produced at our bottling facilities for customers throughout the country and around the world,” he said.
“The Supplier of the Year Award acknowledges the commitment of IBWA supplier members to the bottled water industry and reflects the association’s commitment to recognizing outstanding performance among supplier members.”
“The Shayron Barnes-Selby / IBWA Advocacy Award (“The Selby”) recognizes individuals or organizations whose advocacy efforts have had a positive impact on the national conversation about bottled water.”
“And the Kristin Safran / IBWA Directors’ Award, which hasn’t been awarded since 2010, goes to a person whose commitment or actions on behalf of IBWA and the bottled water industry have achieved clear and measurable results for IBWA and the bottled water industry as a whole.”
Route Salesperson of the Year: Jerry Williams, Nestlé Waters North America, Northbrook, IL
“Jerry’s 23 years of experience provide a perspective that is valued by his fellow service providers. They often turn to him for advice on time management and safety issues,” Mr. Kelly said.
Plant Manager of the Year (Level III): Bill Baker, Hall’s Culligan Water, Wichita, KS
“Every year since Bill started managing this bottled water facility, it has received IBWA’s Excellence in Manufacturing designation. He is a man committed to excellence in all that he does,” he said.
Plant Manager of the Year (Level IV): Brian White, Primo Water North America, Fort Lauderdale, FL
“Brian has excelled in all facets of plant leadership, a fact that has helped his Fort Lauderdale plant rank in the top 10 percent in every category, from Quality and Cost to On-time Delivery and Safety to Inventory Control and Line efficiency,” he said.
Supplier of the Year: Crystal Mountain Products, Inc. Gahanna, OH
“Crystal Mountain employees have demonstrated innovation and commitment by pushing themselves to develop an even better product line to satisfy customers’ needs and differentiate themselves from their competitors. And its management team are focused on innovation,” said Mr. Kelly.
Product Innovation Award: EdgePage by Edge Analytical Laboratories, Bellingham, WA
“With EdgePage, customers and officials can simply click on a link on the bottler’s website to view test results or certificates. In addition, Edge Analytical maintains the page for the bottler, so the information is always up to date.”
Advocacy: Terry Clark, Alaska Glacier Products, Anchorage, AK
“Throughout 2015 and 2016, Terry traveled to Washington, DC, to help educate members of Congress and their staff about bottled water issues. In particular, his participation on IBWA’s efforts to end the National Park Service policy that allows individual park units to ban bottled water has been a critical. “
Advocacy: Phyllis Rokus, PolyCycle Solutions, Irwindale, CA
“Phyllis has not only helped IBWA educate members of Congress and their staff about bottled water issues, but she has also personally promoted the benefits of recycling and environmental sustainability. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, she spent many hours helping the association plan Environmental Sustainability Tours. Those tours visited redemption facilities and processors of recyclable materials in Ontario, California and the New York City Metro area and provided IBWA members with an invaluable recycling education.”
Kristin Safran / IBWA Board of Directors’ Award: Kevin Mathews, Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, CT
“Kevin’s active participation on IBWA committees and task forces‒such as the Technical Committee, the Environmental Sustainability Committee, and Groundwater Rule Task Force‒has been an immense aid to IBWA..In addition, he has been involved in creating solutions for many unique industry problems—such as the challenges of returnable containers after a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy.”
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NOTE: Photos/head shots available upon request
Media Contact:
Jill Culora
jculora@bottledwater.org
703.647.4609
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
IBWA is proud to be a partner with Keep America Beautiful and a supporter of Drink Up, an initiative of former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which encourages Americans to drink more water more often – whether from the tap, a filter, or in a bottle. Choosing water is always the healthy choice.
