Out of twenty-five winners selected nationally, three BGC produce managers — Richard Bixler, Chris Hood and John Smith — have been named United Fresh Produce Association Produce Managers of the Year for 2009.

Each of these employees, along with their respective perishable supervisors, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas April 22-24, courtesy of United Fresh, where they will be honored at the organization’s annual convention.

Richard Bixler is a 6-year employee who serves at Brookshire’s in Sweetwater, Texas; Chris Hood is a 12-year employee and serves at Super 1 Foods on Troup Hwy. in Tyler, Texas; and John Smith, who serves at Super 1 Foods in Ruston, La., has 36 years of service.

Bixler, Hood and Smith were selected for this honor based on their achievements during the past year in the areas of innovative merchandising, special displays, sampling programs, produce industry campaigns, commodity promotions, community service and outreach, recognition and responsibilities within the company, commitment to customer satisfaction, and their promotion of fresh produce.

“I am very excited that out of the few produce managers selected nationally for this award, three of them are from BGC,” said Mark Walden, vice president – retail perishable operations. “This is a record number for our company. I am very proud of Richard, Chris and John and know they will represent our company well at the United Fresh convention.”

Published 04/10/09