West Liberty Foods was named by the Subway brand and its Independent Purchasing Cooperative (IPC) as the 2012 Vendor of the Year at the restaurant chain’s recent convention in Orlando FL.
The West Liberty IA-based company provides various meat products and related services to the Subway chain. It was cited for its work with the brand on product improvements and food safety initiatives, as well as its commitment to corporate social responsibility.
“West Liberty Foods has continued its investment in state-of-the-art facilities, implemented the most advanced food safety protocols, demonstrated strategic vision and innovation in their collaboration with Subway and the IPC, and has achieved national recognition for its work in the area of social responsibility,” said Jan Risi, president of the IPC, which is responsible for procuring products, equipment, supplies, and services used in Subway restaurants. “Across the board, West Liberty has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the Subway brand and an unsurpassed level of excellence in all areas of their business.”
“We are honored to receive this award, and it is celebrated by each member of our team,” said Ed Garrett, president and chief executive officer of West Liberty Foods. “As a company we push the boundaries—whether it is food safety, product development, or environmental sustainability—because it’s the right thing to do.”
Regarding corporate social responsibility, West Liberty Foods is among the first companies in the United States to have its “landfill-free” efforts at its Mount Pleasant IA and Tremonton UT plants verified by a third-party organization. In fact, the Tremonton facility has successfully diverted nearly 3.5 million pounds of annual waste from the local landfill while the Mount Pleasant facility has diverted more than 2 million pounds. West Liberty Foods is aggressively working towards that goal in its Iowa facility, too.
The company also built the Hearts & Hands Children’s Academy in Tremonton as a way to provide day care, as well as educational activities and programming, for children from six weeks through 12 years old.
The Subway restaurant chain has more than 37,000 locations in 100 nations. Headquartered in Milford CT with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami, and Singapore, the franchise was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr Peter Buck in 1965.
Access www.subway.com or www.wlfoods.com for complete information.
