Supplier honorees

Cheers, April, 2008

Operators voted, and the best of the best supplier partners were lauded at the 2008 Cheers Beverage Conference.

Nine companies were recognized by chain restaurant operators for their outstanding service and awarded Supplier of the Year awards. Fifteen additional companies received honorable mention.

The Cheers Award for Supplier Excellence is presented to adult beverage manufacturers and allied companies that supply products and services to full-service chain restaurants. Companies are nominated and then voted upon by the members of the Cheers Editorial Advisory Board, which is comprised of 40 leading chain restaurant beverage executives.

The 2008 Cheers Supplier of the Year awards were presented by Stan Novack, vice president of concept development for HMS Host, and Charles Forman, M2Media360 senior vice president and group publisher of The Beverage Information Group, which publishes Cheers.

LARGE BEER SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Anheuser-Busch was lauded for bringing new, innovative ideas to its restaurant partners, providing stellar support and working with operators to develop and train their front-line employees. From left: Stan Novack; Ed Farley, Anheuser-Busch; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mention: Coors Brewing Co.

SMALL BEER SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Among the attributes that earned The Boston Beer Company the award were its continuous innovation, high level of service and outstanding programs that support its brands in the restaurant environment. From left: Stan Novack; Martin Lanigan, Jen Lockman, Scott Hempstead, Shawn Love, Chester Kwasniewski and Robert Vail of Boston Beer; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mention: Heineken/Star Brand Imports

LARGE WINE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Voters commended E. & J. Gallo Winery as a leader in providing consumer insights, new product introductions and service, for constantly bringing new ideas to its partners and for both communicating well and providing good follow-up. From left: Stan Novack; Larry Sturcken and Bob LaBrie of E. & J. Gallo; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mention: Constellation Brands

SMALL WINE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Supporting restaurant concepts with solid, strategy-driven plans, cutting-edge beverage development and effective training initiatives were among the attributes that won Ste. Michelle Wine Estates this year's honor. From left: Stan Novack; Shawn Byrnes, Doug Nason, Carey Fredrick and Colleen Brennan of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mentions: Beringer/Foster's Wine Estates Americas, Majestic Fine Wines, Trinchero Family Estates

LARGE SPIRITS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Brown-Forman was applauded for partnering with restaurant companies on strategic planning, supporting its brands in the on-premise market and for building strong relationships. From left: Stan Novack; Wayne Putlak of Brown-Forman; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mentions: Diageo, Bacardi USA, Inc.

SMALL SPIRITS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Commended as a strong partner that helps drive incremental sales with great merchandising ideas and a proactive sales team, SKYY Spirits also was cited as being nimble and responsive. From left: Stan Novack; Wendy Dunlap, Angie Mikeska, Bridget Dunham, Leslie Rhodes and Michael Gardner of SKYY Spirits; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mentions: Moet Hennessy USA, Remy-Cointreau USA

LARGE NON-ALCOHOL & MIX SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Outstanding customer service, research and development and recipe development capabilities won Coca-Cola its crown this year. From left: Stan Novack; Jennifer Nabors, Rhonda Anderson and Sheri Messer of Coca-Cola; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mention: Red Bull North America

SMALL NON-ALCOHOL & MIX SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Exceptional support and service, cutting edge products and innovation and high-quality personnel were among the attributes that lead Monin Gourmet Flavorings to receive this award. From left: Stan Novack; Mark Reinheimer, Loretta Arthur, Dave Callahan, Carlos Lozano and Joe Smith of Monin; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mention: Island Oasis

ALLIED PRODUCTS & SERVICES SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

Patrick Henry Creative Promotions won the award with stellar customer service, the ability to execute against objectives and continuous new idea generation. From left: Stan Novack; Michelle Kientz, Patrick Henry, Vonna Taylor, Scott Nava and Annie Akin of Patrick Henry Creative Promotions; Charles Forman.

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Honorable Mentions: iMi Agency, MarkeTeam, Fishbowl Marketing