Minneapolis employee earns national Route Salesperson of the Year award

International Bottled Water Association | MEDIA RELEASE | November 18, 2014

Minneapolis employee earns national Route Salesperson of the Year award

Dallas, TX – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today announced a Minneapolis employee has won the prestigious Route Salesperson of the Year award for 2014.

Shawn Kelleher, a Route Salesperson with Culligan Bottled Water (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota), 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. Kelleher was an exceptional employee, a team player and a person who treated his job as if it was his own businesses.

“Imagine if your job involved fighting city traffic, fitting a beverage truck into tight loading spaces at docks, lifting (by hand) all of your product up from the ground onto those docks, then using a handtruck to deliver product to customers. And you do it in the snow!” said Mr. Kelly.

“That’s exactly what Shawn does—successfully—in Minneapolis. Although his route is the hardest and least popular route at the company, last year Shawn not only ensured that his current customers were well taken care of—he also brought on 52 new clients.

“And not just any clients—corporate clients that brought great exposure and revenue to Culligan.

“Shawn is a successful salesperson because he treats his route like it is his own business. He is a successful team player because he is constantly brainstorming for new ideas that will help his entire sales team. Shawn has been proudly representing Culligan for 16 years—and we hope that he’ll continue to have success for many more years to come.”

Mr. Kelly announced to the crowd: “Congratulations to you Shawn. 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.