A packed opening day of the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Anaheim saw the five Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging winners pick up their prizes and new boards elected for the 2014/15 campaign, among other many other events.
More than 75submissions from 56 companies vied for the five 2014 PMA Impact Awards: Excellence in Packaging, with a panel of judges looking for products that lead as examples in produce and floral packaging, demonstrating originality with emphasis on connecting with consumers, safeguarding the product inside, sustaining the environment and improving supply chain efficiencies.
Judges scored each entry in five areas: marketing, food safety, supply chain efficiency, sustainability excellence and consumer convenience excellence.
The winners of the 2014 Impact Award announced at the Friday general session were CMI Columbia Marketing International for its 'GO GO' Fresh Cherry Package, Earthbound Farm for its PowerMeal Bowls, Fresh Solutions Network for Side Delights Gourmet Petites, Mucci Farms for The New Pint, and Wholly Guacamole for the Wholly Guacamole Grab N Guac Box.
Board elections
Meanwhile, several board elections took place on the opening day of the event. Elected to chair PMA’s board of directors was Kevin Fiori, vice-president of sales and marketing for Sunkist Growers, while five other officers and 29 directors joined him.
Also elected as officers to the 2014/15 PMA board were Immediate Past Chairman Tim Riley (The Giumarra Companies), Chairman-Elect Russ Mounce (Sam’s Wholesale Club), Secretary/Treasurer Drew Yurko (FreshPoint), Vice-Chairman John Oxford (L&M), and Vice-Chairman Alex Leach (Taylor Farms).
Together with PMA CEO Bryan Silbermann, PMA President Cathy Burns, and PMA Foundation for Industry Talent Board of Directors Chairman Dick Spezzano, the officers comprise PMA’s Executive Committee.
