Packaging
Graham Packaging Named First-Ever Overall Supplier of the Year by The Dannon Company
Tuesday 05. February 2008 - The Dannon Company, Inc., has named Graham Packaging Company, L.P., the winner of its first-ever overall Supplier of the Year Award. The award was presented January 22 in New York City.
Dannon, and its global parent, Groupe Danone, have been Graham Packaging customers since the late 1970s. Graham Packaging operates eight container manufacturing plants on site with Dannon/Danone worldwide and produces a variety of plastic containers for its yogurt products.
“This award is a tremendous honor for us,” said Ashok Sudan, executive vice president for food and beverage at Graham Packaging. “Over many years of working with The Dannon Company and Groupe Danone, we have developed the utmost respect for the quality of their products, the value they create in the marketplace, and the high standards of business they set and always maintain. Because of that, we’re extremely proud of our association with them and delighted to be singled out for this major award.”
The Dannon Company gave awards in five supplier categories for performance in 2007 plus the top award to Graham Packaging for overall Supplier of the Year. In selecting Graham from among its many suppliers, Dannon cited Graham’s exceptional quality and service, the successful start-up of a major new on- site plant, purchasing initiatives that reduced raw material volatility, and contributions to Dannon’s sustainability initiative.
“We have tremendous respect for our business partners and are grateful for the contributions they make to our success,” said Francois Blanckaert, vice president of sourcing and supplier development for The Dannon Company.
“We know that innovation will come not only from within Dannon or Groupe Danone but also externally via our business partners,” Blanckaert added. “So, through close relationships and through improved recognition of our partners, we are in effect bringing the outside inside. It is an evolution of the traditional purchasing function.”
The Dannon Company is America’s founding national yogurt company and continually leverages its expertise to develop and market innovative cultured fresh dairy products in the United States. Headquartered in White Plains, New York, Dannon has plants in Minster, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; and West Jordan, Utah. The company produces and sells approximately 100 different types of flavors, styles and sizes of cultured fresh dairy products. Dannon is owned by Groupe Danone, one of the world’s leading producers of packaged foods and beverages, and Dannon is the top-selling brand of yogurt products worldwide, sold under the names Dannon and Danone.
Graham Packaging has been previously honored with supplier of the year awards from H.J. Heinz in 2006 and 2007, the Miller Brewing Company in 2005, Ocean Spray in 2005 and Welch’s in 1998.