Certco Inc. held its annual fall food show Aug. 12-13 at the Marriott West in Madison, Wisconsin, where its member companies were introduced to the newest of holiday products during this year’s sports themed event.
The opening ceremonies included recognition of longtime employee and food show organizer, LaVonne Molenda, who is slated to retire.
Paul Frey, VP of sales for Certco Inc., introduced two new performance-based awards: the sales sprinter and the brand builder award.
The winners are as follows:
Sales Sprinter Recipients
- Sendik’s Fine Foods in Brookfield, Wisconsin;
- Sendik’s Food Market in Elm Grove, Wisconsin; and
- Karl’s Grocery in Edgewood, Iowa.
Brand Builder Recipients
- Miller & Sons of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin;
- Stockman’s Farm Supply in Osseo, Wisconsin; and
- Nick’s Family Grocery in Winthrop, Iowa.
“At Certco Inc. we pride ourselves in living the motto, ‘It’s more than just a membership, it’s a partnership,’” Frey said.
Another highlight of the evening was special guest and five-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater Bonnie Blair. Blair inspired the audience with stories of family, courage, hard work and leadership she has learned through her career.
At the end of the event, product from the show was donated to the WayForward Resources organization headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, which creates food and housing security through action and advocacy.
“Feeding communities is what we do. Our independent retailers are a driving force in their communities, and it is a privilege to make this donation on their behalf,” said Justyne Uribe, EVP of Certco Inc.
About Certco
Madison, Wisconsin-based Certco Inc. serves Midwest independent grocery retailers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Recognized as a top workplace in 2024 and 2025, Certco supplies an array of products ranging from meat and produce to a full variety of center store, frozen, dairy, deli, HBC and private label. Certco also provides a full portfolio of marketing and accounting services.
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