UGI celebrates excellence at annual dinner

United Grocers Inc. (UGI) held its annual dinner and awards event on Oct. 25 at the Toronto Congress Centre.

“2018 is nearly behind us and we expect another good year for the UGI community,” said Serge Boulanger, senior vice-president of national procurement and corporate brands at Metro, kicking off the evening’s presentations. “Together, we were able to connect the dots generate sales and growth.”

The theme for the evening was “connections,” with an emphasis on the importance of working together. “We need more than ever to stay connected together to exceed our customer needs so we can continue to perform in this market,” said Boulanger.

The winners of the evening's awards all embodied "the spirit of our theme of connections," according to the event's MC James Cunningham, Canadian comedian and TV host.

The following six awards were handed out at the event:

Best Grocery Supplier 2018: PepsiCo/Frito Lay Canada

Best Grocery Innovation/Innovative Program 2018: Tree of Life Canada Inc.

Best Fresh Department Supplier 2018: Maple Leaf Foods

Best Equipment and Services Supplier 2018: DIGI Canada Inc.

Best Private Label Supplier 2018: Golden Boy Foods Ltd.

Special Program/Products Specific to UGI Members: Temple Lifestyle