International Bottled Water Association | MEDIA RELEASE | November 17, 2014
Framingham employee earns national Route Salesperson of the Year award
Dallas, TX – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today announced a Framingham, Massachusetts, employee has won the prestigious Route Salesperson of the Year award for 2014.
Mike Forristall, a Route Salesperson with Nestlé Waters North America, was handed the title at IBWA’s Annual General Meeting as part of the 2014 IBWA Annual Business Conference in Dallas, Texas.
In making the announcement, IBWA Convention Committee Co-Chair Dan Kelly said Mr. Forristall was a model employee – loyal to the company and always demonstrates integrity and builds relationships.
“Mike has been a route salesperson at Nestlé Waters for 27 years. He has logged nearly 500,000 miles and delivered 1.5 million bottles of water—and he has been accident and injury free his entire career,” Mr. Kelly said.
“At a time when some employees look to do less, Mike is always looking to do more. For example — Before taking a well-deserved vacation, he called each and every one of his clients to let them know another route salesperson would step in to cover while he was away. Mike asked his customers if they expected to have any special needs during that time, and he let them know that if they needed anything while he was on vacation they could call his cell phone.”
“Mike’s great service is one of the many reasons customers from his previous routes still ask for him. His commitment to his customers is only outshone by his commitment to Nestlé and his team. Mike often asks his General Manager, “How are we doing?” and “What can I do to help?”
“And Mike helps out a lot. When a fellow Nestlé employee was injured while deployed in Afghanistan, Mike organized a collection at his plant to ensure his co-worker and his family were able to enjoy the holidays.”
“Perhaps one of Mike’s customers described him best when he said, “Mike Forristall is a company’s dream employee. This man is loyal to his company and represents his employer with integrity and builds relationships with his customers.”
“Congratulations to you Mike. You deserve the title of Route Salesperson of the Year.”
Since 1963, IBWA has been recognizing the efforts of the bottled water industry’s route salespeople. As ambassadors of the bottled water industry, route salespeople are on the front lines of customer service, and—through them—the bottled water industry has direct contact and connection with customers.
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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.
