More than 400 grocery industry friends and colleagues were in attendance of the 14th Annual Iowa Grocery Industry Association Hall of Fame Dinner Thursday, October 25, at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel, where the IGIA honored its 2007 Retailer and Supplier of the Year.

Earning this year’s Retailer of the Year award was recently retired Hy-Vee Executive Vice President Ray Stewart. A 41-year employee of Hy-Vee, Stewart began his Hy-Vee legacy in 1966 as a part-time carryout. He took his first full-time position with the company in 1971, working under retired Hy-Vee CEO and President Ron Pearson – then a store manager – at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee.

Pearson, the 1995 Retailer of the Year and last year’s Lifetime Achievement award winner, was on hand at the dinner to saw homage Stewart as he was inducted into a very select fraternity of industry leaders. In addition to Pearson, other past retailers of the year in attendance were Harlan Dubansky (1989), Dennis Schwab (1994), Bob Cramer (1997), Jim Woods (2001), F.W. “Bill” Beckwith (2002), Doug Fallgatter (2004), Scott Havens (2005) and Fred Greiner (2006).

Claiming the honor of 2007 IGIA Supplier of the Year was General Mills. While headquartered in Minneapolis, General Mills has two production plants in Iowa – Cedar Rapids and Carlisle. These two facilities manufacture company products such as Betty Crocker cake mix and pouch muffins, Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot and all the “Big G” cereal brands, including Cheerios, Wheaties and Total.

Other individuals being honored at the dinner included Iowa Lottery Corporate Account Manager Tom Warner and State Representative Jeff Kaufmann. Warner received the 2007 IGIA Volunteer of the Year while Kaufmann was presented with this year’s Legislative Leadership Award.