Darden Restaurants Inc recently chose MBM Corporation’s Riverside CA operation as its Distribution Center of the Year for 2010. Selected by Darden’s distribution team, the award winner will be recognized at a May 4 dinner in Orlando FL.
MBM Corporation–Riverside is one of 32 privately held distribution centers throughout the United States. It entered into the foodservice distribution arena more than 60 years ago and currently provides distribution to more than 15,000 customer locations.
In related news, Darden announced the recipients of its annual William B Darden Distinguished Supplier Awards. Named for the company’s late founder, the awards recognize a select group of more than 1,500 suppliers worldwide that “go above and beyond” to contribute to the success of the company. Selected by Darden’s culinary, purchasing, total quality and marketing teams, recipients also will be recognized at the May 4 dinner in Orlando.
Among the 11 companies recognized were:
•Pilgrim’s Pride—for providing LongHorn Steakhouse with fresh chicken products at significant cost savings.
•Thai Union Seafood—for consistently providing Red Lobster with shrimp, while maintaining focus on service, innovation, cost, and sustainability.
•Hallvard Leroy AS—for service, collaboration, and responsiveness in adjusting production and marketing processes to become a strategic supplier of Norwegian salmon, while partnering with Darden during extreme market challenges.
•Lotito Foods Inc—for consistently outstanding support of all Darden concepts, including new product ideas and implementation.
•Nestle Foodservices–North America—for its contributions to Olive Garden’s Sauce Excellence program.
•Coca-Cola—for its product development work with multiple Darden brands and its support of LongHorn Steakhouse.
•Windsor Quality Foods LTD—for helping Olive Garden develop its Pansotti pasta.
Headquartered in Orlando and employing about 180,000 people, Darden’s restaurant brands include Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52.
For more information, visit www.darden.com.
