The PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging

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  Bridget Bennett

  Bridget Bennett currently serves as Category Manager/Produce for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), which operates a worldwide chain of 284 commissaries to provide groceries to military personnel, retirees, and their families. From 2006-2010, Bridget was the Commissary Management Specialist for DeCA East in Fort Lee, Virginia. Her prior roles have included Semi-Perishable Manager, Perishable Manager and Produce Manager at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Bridget’s early career assignments at DeCA included a Supervisory Sales Store Checker and Sales Store Checker.

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  Kip Martin

  Kip Martin has been in the produce retail business for over 30 years. His passion for produce began at a young age at his father's supermarket. After 7 years working in the family business, Kip worked for Bel Air Markets as a Produce Clerk and later became a Produce Manager. He earned a B.S.in Business Management with a concentration in Marketing from Sacramento State University California. In 2001, he became a Produce and Floral Supervisor for the parent company, Raley's Family of Fine Stores. During the last 10 years, Kip set up company grand openings, remodels and community events. He supervised 50 of the company's 127 stores and is widely recognized as a leader in retail produce merchandising. From 2006 to 2008, he helped set up the Fresh Ideas Marketplace display at PMA’s Fresh Summit.

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  Ronald G. McCormick

  Ronald (Ron) G. McCormick, Senior Director of Local and Sustainable Sourcing has been with Wal-Mart since 1995 when he joined the company as a produce buyer. He spent 10 years as VP/Divisional Merchandise Manager for Produce & Floral. Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Ron was a perishable supervisor with Food lion, a produce buyer at Meijer, and an In-store operations manager at Hamady Bros. Ron earned a B.A. in Business Administration at the University of Michigan (Flint) and attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. He is currently captain of Wal-Mart's Food & Agriculture Sustainable Value Network. He has served on the boards for the National Mango Board, the Produce for Better Health Foundation, the United Fresh Produce Association, and has chaired several PMA committees.

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  Pamela Riemenschneider

  Pamela Riemenschneider is Editor of Produce Retailer magazine and the Retail Editor of sister publication, The Packer. She has spent the past 7 years traveling to retailers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico to find innovative products, packages and merchandising concepts. She takes a special interest in value-added products for her Pamela's Kitchen program, where she "puts value-added produce to the test." Her 4-year-old son, Ike, frequently co-stars on Pamela's Kitchen from her Austin, Texas home.

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  Dr. Robert Whitaker

  Dr. Robert Whitaker, the Chief Science & Technology Officer of PMA, has responsibility for food safety and security, environmental sustainability and technical innovations for the produce supply chain. Before joining PMA, Dr. Whitaker worked with DNA Plant Technology Corporation and NewStar. In 2006, he was awarded IFPA’s Technical Achievement Award for his work in food safety and product development. Dr. Whitaker has been intimately involved in the development of the leafy greens GAP Metrics and also serves on both the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Technical Committees. He was named to the Executive Advisory Board for the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) in 2007 and has taken on the role of Chairman for the CPS Research and Technology Council (2008) which oversees the solicitation and awarding of funds for research projects focused on produce food safety.

Do I need to be a PMA Member to submit an entry?

Nominations will be accepted from any PMA Member. Companies can either nominate their own packaging solution or another company's innovative concept.

Do I need to be a Fresh Summit exhibitor to submit an entry?

No, you are not required to be an exhibitor to submit an entry.

How much is the submission fee?

There is no cost for award submissions. However, participants will need to cover any fees associated with shipping their packaging samples.

How are points awarded?

Points are awarded for excellence in the following areas:

• Marketing
• Sustainability
• Consumer Convenience
• Food Safety
• Supply Chain Efficiency/Functionality

What is the difference between the New Products Showcase and the Impact Award?

The New Products Showcase is only open to PMA Fresh Summit exhibitors. A fee is incurred to display your product at the expo as well as online. The Impact Award is open to both exhibitors and non-exhibitors. There is not a submission fee. Only the top 25-30 Impact Award finalists have an opportunity to display their products at Fresh Summit.

Can I submit more than one entry?

Yes, multiple submissions are permitted from a company. However, each entry requires a separate submission form.

More questions? Contact Elaine Bange +1 (302) 738-7100.

Award Definition
The PMA Impact Award recognizes companies that create and deliver bold new concepts for produce packaging. Points are awarded for excellence in the following areas:

• Marketing
• Sustainability
• Consumer Convenience
• Food Safety
• Supply Chain Efficiency/Functionality

Deadline for Submission
The deadline to submit all entries is August 10, 2012.

Eligibility for Submission
Any PMA member company engaged in fresh produce or floral sales may submit a packaged product concept. Multiple entries may be submitted. However, each entry requires a separate form. All packaging submissions must be commercially traded at the time of submission.

Participation Fees
There is no cost for award submissions. However, participants will need to cover any fees associated with shipping their packaging samples.

Selection Process
An independent selection committee will evaluate all packaging submissions and supporting documentation. The committee will present 25-30 finalists to the judging panel for the final evaluation and winner selection.

Judging Panel
An independent, third-party judging panel with significant professional experience in fresh produce and packaging has been selected by PMA. PMA will oversee all phases of the judging process to ensure competence, impartiality, and fairness.

Finalist Notification
All finalists will be notified by e-mail on or before August 27, 2012.

Award Notification
The winners will be announced at PMA’s Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition during the General Session on Saturday, October 27, 2012.

Award Recognition
All finalists will have their submissions showcased in a designated area during PMA’s Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition. Winners will also be recognized on the PMA website and in PMA press releases.

Each entry will receive a cumulative score based upon the following five areas of excellence:

• Marketing
  Stands out with regards to style, form and message. Distinctive materials, compelling graphics and clear messaging are utilized to influence consumer attention and drive sales through product differentiation.
• Sustainability
  Meets the mission to reduce, reuse, and/or recycle along with recommended practices offered by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
• Consumer Convenience
  Offers convenience attributes that encourage consumer behavior including easy-to-carry handles, re-sealable closures, cooking technology, portability, etc.
• Food Safety
  Employs innovative food safety protocols to prevent food-borne illness through innovative use of packaging materials and/or components.
• Supply Chain Efficiency/Functionality
  Creates efficiencies for one or more segments of the supply chain (transportation, handling, storage, merchandising) and/or extends product shelf life.