Pear Bureau Northwest Presented Awards to 39 Retail Produce Personnel from Across the U.S. and Canada
Portland, Ore. (June 15, 2015) – Pear Bureau Northwest is pleased to announce the 39 winners of its second annual “Pear Up with USA Pears” display
Kathie Meyer
Port Townsend Food Co-op – Port Townsend, WA
contest. The contest invited all retailers from across the U.S. and Canada to build an eye-catching display that features Green Anjou, Red Anjou, and Bosc pears at minimum, with inclusion of other varieties of USA Pears encouraged. To qualify for the contest, the display was required to be maintained for at least one week during the January – March timeframe.
Entries were judged on a 100 point scale for appearance, creativity, and educational impact. Five bonus points were added to entries that included any of the jumbo size pears readily available this season. As recognition for their participation, all who entered were awarded a gift card for Amazon.com valued at $20.
“The produce managers participating in the contest went over and above with eye-catching and educational displays that are sure to increase pear sales for their
retailers,” noted Kathy Stephenson, Marketing Communications Director at Pear Bureau Northwest. “Selecting only a few winners was a difficult task, with many entries showing exceptional creativity. We appreciate everyone who created memorable displays and thank them for contributing to our pear category.”
First, second, and third place winners plus ten honorable mentions were named in three store categories (1 – 5 cash registers, 6 – 9 cash registers, and 10+ cash registers), for a total of 39 cash prizes being awarded.
Winners in each store category have received:
- 1st Place: $1,000
- 2nd Place: $750
- 3rd Place: $500
- 10 Honorable Mentions: $150 each
The winners for the 1 – 5 cash registers category are:
1st Place: Nicoline Hill, Billie’s Market, Onamia, Minnesota
2nd Place: Kelly Kesler, Kesler’s Market, Blackfoot, Idaho (Kelly’s second year in top 3)
3rd Place: Holly Mathis, Neighborhood Co-op Grocery, Carbondale, Illinois
Honorable Mentions:
Sheila Burt, Mike’s Food Center, St. Charles, Minnesota
Lynette DeClerck, Pana County Market, Pana, Illinois
Ryan Ellison, Food City, Oliver Springs, Tennessee
Nancy Hoffstetter, Cortland Sparkle Market, Cortland, Ohio
Jason Kirkpatrick, Foodland, South Pittsburgh, Tennessee
Susan Kotarba, Hardings Market, Dowagiac, Michigan
Kia LaPier, Tops Markets, Schroon Lake, New York
Titus Lohr, Al’s Supermarkets West, LaPorte, Indiana
Kelly Nowak, Leppinks Food Center, Belding, Michigan
Randy Tolleson, Foodland, Boaz, Alabama
The winners for the 6 – 9 cash registers category are:
1st Place: Kathie Meyer, Port Townsend Food Co-op, Port Townsend, Washington
2nd Place: David Scarlett, KVAT Food Stores, Knoxville, Tennessee
3rd Place: George Marken, United States Air Force Commissary, USAFA, Colorado
Honorable Mentions:
Dawn Beckby, Henderson’s IGA, Valentine, Nebraska
Brad Clark, Harps, Springdale, Arkansas
David Dozier, GFF Foods, Moore, Oklahoma
Michael Garrett, Rosauers Supermarkets, Yakima, Washington
Nathan Goldsmith, Huckleberry’s Natural Market, Spokane, Washington
Chad Miller, Sprouts Market, Flower Mound, Texas
Efrain Ruiz, Ray’s Foodplace, Cloverdale, California
Susan Seward, Safeway, Yakima, Washington
Chad Sinclair, Kuhn’s Market, Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Bill Pfannenstiel, Price Cutter Plus, Lebanon, Missouri
The winners for the 10 or more cash registers category are:
1st Place: Ken Marske, Schmitz’s, Spooner, Wisconsin
2nd Place: David Fugiel, Caputos, Carole Stream, Illinois
3rd Place: G. Michael Oliver, Pennington Quality Market, New Jersey
Honorable Mentions:
Amy Bell, Haggen, Gig Harbor, Washington
Cay McConnell, Food City, Blountville, Tennessee
Esteban Gonzalez, Rouse’s Market, Gretma, Virginia
Justin Fiscus, Dutchway, Myerstow, Pennsylvania
Mario Decaro, Tops Market, Cheektowaga, New York
Michelle Bowley, Marketplace Foods, Minot, North Dakota
Pat Deroche, Rouses Market, Houma, Louisiana
Terry Inder, Dominion, Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Tim Oldenkamp, Safeway, Silverdale, Washington
Travis Jones, Food City (KVAT), Kingsport, Tennessee
For photos of the winning entries, visit our webpage.
About Pear Bureau Northwest and USA Pears
Pear Bureau Northwest is a non-profit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh USA Pears grown in Washington and Oregon, home to 84% of the US fresh pear crop. The Bureau represents 1,600 growers and develops national and international markets for Northwest pear distribution. For more information, visit www.usapears.org.
# # #