DMA celebrated its customers and distributors last week, Big Easy style in New Orleans. The two-day industry event closed with an awards ceremony honoring multiple winners from DMA’s national network. What started with nine founding members in 1988 has grown and evolved into today’s integrated national network supported by eleven distributors. The conference served as an opportunity for DMA’s Superior Operator Partners to recognize distributor members who have gone above and beyond in 2024.
The Large DC of the Year field faced stiff competition. There were more DCs in this category, more votes per DC and tighter scores at the top. In fact, there were three in a very close race. The two runners-up were Nicholas Salt Lake and Ben E. Keith Missouri. Both received incredibly high scores and are certainly very appreciated by their customers.
The winner of the Large DC category was Ben E. Keith Fort Worth. This distribution center received the highest score in any category and was a runner up in last year’s competition, as well. Ben E. Keith Fort Worth received more #1 votes than any other DC and one of the highest scores for commercial support, which was ranked as the most important area of focus by customers. One customer commented that Ben E. Keith Fort Worth’s strength was “the ability to provide excellent customer service and operational support, characterized by quick resolutions and strong communication, especially during challenging times.”
In the category of medium sized distribution centers, this year’s race featured two honorable mentions, GFS Kannapolis and Martin Bros. The Martin Bros. DC actually had nearly identical scores in the performance criteria as the winner, but just a couple fewer #1 ranking votes than the DC receiving the award. The winning DC was DiCarlo Foodservice. DiCarlo is a first-time winner, just edging out the runners up in this category but with strong scores in account and commercial support.
The final DC award was presented to one of the up-and-coming centers – because they’re usually just getting started in the DMA network. There were fewer candidates considered in this category compared to last year, which is a sign of growth within the network. The two runners-up in this category were Ben E. Keith Florida and Shamrock New Mexico, both of whom we will be keeping an eye on next year!
The winner of the small DC category was BiRite. Their top score in “ability to support the brand and never disappoint a guest” made the difference in this group.
The Distribution Center awards have evolved over the years, but the criteria has been consistent – each customer rates each distribution center on seven different categories of service. Those results are then compared to similarly sized DCs throughout the national network. It’s important to note that “size” of the DC is relative to the scale of the DMA business that particular house serves. The criteria for award winners focused on the average score of those questions. However, improvement versus the prior year score, as well as the number/size of responding customers, was also considered.
DMA also recognizes performance above and beyond the norm by one of the distributor customer team members. The votes are cast by the DMA team and consider all aspects of the role. This year’s winner received more first-place votes than anyone in the past two years but was closely followed by one of last year’s finalists. That honorable mention goes to Shamrock’s Jo Hart, who moved up to second place from last year’s third-place ranking. Another honorable mention goes to Derek Taylor from Ben E. Keith as a new finalist, moving into the top three from last year’s top five finish. It’s worth noting that 28 different reps received votes across the membership, indicating broad support and great relationships.
Troy Leatherman from Gordon Food Service took home the prize for Account Manager of the Year. Comments about Troy included, “… a DMA Advocate with a balanced approach to account management; always available when needed; aligns with DMA’s values and is a true advocate.” Additionally, he was recognized for, “leadership and approach … a great partner for DMA and our customers!”
