Diageo North America Announces 2017 Supplier Awards

From Diageo:

CHICAGO, IL Nov. 2, 2017 Diageo North America, a global leader in beverage alcohol, announced its 2017 Supplier Awards during a gala celebration held at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium on November 1. In its seventh year, Diageo’s Supplier Awards recognize supplier partners that have driven value for Diageo by delivering outstanding quality, partnership and performance.

"These awards demonstrate our gratitude and commitment to many of our valued suppliers," said Erik Snyder, President, Diageo North America Supply & Procurement. "Our supply and demand partners’ contributions of world-class quality, innovation and service across the entire value chain are critical to the overall success of our business."

Awards are given in nine categories, each representing specific supply and procurement criteria that positively impacted the company’s success in the past year and demonstrate the strength of commitment to the business.

Categories and Winners:

• Supplier of the Year: MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Atchison, KS)
• Quality Excellence: Pratt Industries (Conyers, Georgia)
• Service Excellence: Atlantic Container Line (ACL) (Westfield, New Jersey) and CCL Industries Inc. (Toronto, ON)
• Innovation Excellence: MW Luxury Packaging (Hertfordshire, UK)
• Diversity Excellence: Encore Event Management LLC (Dallas, TX)
• Value Creation: JLL (Jones Lang La Salle) Incorporated (Chicago, IL)
• Breakthrough Collaboration: Pneumatic Scale Angelus (Stow, OH)
• Distinguished Honors – Special Projects: Creamy Creations (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Breakthrough Performance: MKTG (New York, NY)

Category Descriptions:

Supplier of the Year: This supplier has delivered overall stellar performance and played a key role in helping to make Diageo one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Collaborative and proactive, this partner has driven value for Diageo by providing superior quality, service, innovation, and value. Award criteria includes outstanding industry performance, social responsibility, and commitment to safety, environmental awareness and sustainability.

Quality Excellence: This supplier has demonstrated outstanding quality of the goods and/or services to Diageo. Award criteria includes the supplier’s contributions to capability improvements, root cause problem solving, and Six Sigma methodology to create and sustain zero-defect processes and supply chains.

Service Excellence: This supplier has exceeded expectations in flexibility and responsiveness to meet changing supply chain requirements. This partner has also demonstrated a firm understanding of Diageo business needs and successfully delivered finished goods and/or services on time, in full, and as ordered.

Innovation Excellence: This partner has demonstrated brilliant execution with new Diageo innovations and product offerings. Partnering closely with Diageo on special projects, this supplier has provided breakthrough performance and speed to market despite demanding timelines and changing requirements. Award criteria includes the supplier’s impact on Diageo’s ability to achieve sales growth and market share gain.

Diversity Excellence: This supplier is a diverse enterprise that has exemplified outstanding performance in execution and value creation. This supply partner has demonstrated flexibility to align with continuously changing requirements and exemplifies Diageo’s mission to expand opportunities for diverse supplier enterprises.

Value Creation: This supplier has demonstrated the deepest commitment to Diageo’s continuous improvement culture while driving year over year cost reductions and overall value. This partner also helps Diageo create and maintain value creation through reliable performance, understanding of business needs and dedication to driving joint value.

Breakthrough Collaboration: This supplier has demonstrated a deep commitment to proactively identifying risks and opportunities in collaboration with key stakeholders across the business, while exhibiting exceptional communications capabilities and fostering an environment of teamwork.

Distinguished Honors – Special Projects: This supply partner has made a substantial, positive impact on one or more Diageo brands or critical projects, and demonstrated leadership by initiating and propelling new and creative project ideas on time, on budget, and through proactive risk and opportunity identification.

Breakthrough Performance: This supplier has successfully overcome challenging performance goals by delivering outstanding and measureable improvements in service, quality, and value.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow us on Twitter for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.