United Grocers Inc. (UGI) celebrated supplier excellence and its 50^th anniversary at the UGI Supplier Dinner and Awards gala.

Held at the Toronto Congress Centre on October 27, the event celebrated supplier and retail partnerships. Supplier awards were presented to the following companies:

• Best Grocery Supplier: Kruger Prods
• Best Innovative Program: PepsiCo Foods Canada
• Best Fresh: Maple Leaf Foods
• Best Services and Equipment: NielsenIQ
• Best Private Label: Ice River Sustainable Solutions
• Exceptional Retail Award: Coca-Cola

Best Grocery Supplier, Kruger Products: Mike Lovsin, Freson Brothers, far left, and Dan Hansen, Save-On-Foods, far right, presented the award to Kruger Products, which included from the left Steeve Lamontagne, Dan Touseant, Michel Manseau, Kruger CEO Dino Bianco, and Ryan Scanzano.

Best Innovative Program, PepsiCo Foods: PepsiCo Foods’ Mike Lust, second from left and Yanick Couture accepted the award on behalf of the company. Presenters are Tim Lalach, Federated Co-op, far left and Lyne Jetté, Metro Inc.

Best Fresh award Maple Leaf Foods: Maple Leaf Foods’ Daisy Samaniego and John Tobin accepted the award on behalf of the company. Presenters are far left Dave Chatyrbok, North West Company, and far right, John Carbone, Coremark.

Best Services and Equipment award, NielsenIQ: NielsenIQ’s Hanif Mohamed and Mehwish Choudhary, second and third from left, accepted the award on behalf of the company. Presenters are far left Josh Brady, London Drugs, and far right, Lorraine Mercer-Hall, Colemans.

Best Private Label award: Ice River Sustainable Solutions’ Kevin Rodgers accepted the award on behalf of the company. Presenters are far right Annie St-Laurent, Metro, and far left, Matt Coleman, Colemans.

Exceptional Retail Award, Coca-Cola: Ron Welke, Federated Co-operatives, far left and Troy Dewinetz, Buy-Low Foods, far right, presented the award to Coca-Cola, including Ryan Kellins, second from left, and Tim McNerney, third from left.