Beneke Sacks Competition to Win 2008 Iowa Best Bagger Contest

Fareway Employee From Cresco Wins 21st Annual Contest Hosted by the Iowa Grocers

Brian Beneke left the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Friday, August 8, with a new swagger – one that was befitting of a champion.

That was because earlier that afternoon, the Fareway Stores employee became the master of his craft and defeated 17 other competitors to win the 2008 Iowa Best Bagger Contest, which was hosted by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association.

Beneke was awarded a first place prize of $500 for winning the state competition. He will now represent the state of Iowa at the 2009 National Grocers Association Best Bagger Contest in Las Vegas February 3-6, 2009, with a chance to win an additional $2,000. The 26-year-old will attempt to be the sixth person from Iowa to win a national title and the first since 2000. All five previous national winners were also Fareway employees.

“Brian defeated an excellent group of contestants to walk away as this year’s Iowa Best Bagger Champion,” said Jerry Fleagle, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. “If he can duplicate what he did in our state final at the national competition, I believe he will have a very good opportunity to claim Iowa’s seventh overall national championship.”

Beneke’s performance in this year’s competition went a long way in proving that speed is not the only important factor in winning the event. His time was only the second fastest in the championship heat, but he still won based on the weight distribution of the bags he sacked and his technique.

“The contest is scored and judged on all of the realistic characteristics associated with bagging a customer’s purchase,” said Fleagle. “Speed is just one factor in the grand scheme of this event.”

Beneke, a native of New Albin, Iowa, who currently works at the Fareway in Cresco, completed the final round in 48 seconds. The 11-year grocery bagger’s time was nearly nine seconds slower than second place finisher Tim Hannan, an employee at the Fareway on S.E. 22nd in Des Moines. But Beneke’s technique and weight distribution scores were just high enough to surpass Hannan, who earned $250 for taking second.

Walking away with third place and winning $150 was Jeremy Mescher. Mescher is another Fareway Stores employee who works at the company’s store in Grinnell.

A total of 18 individuals took part in the annual event, which was celebrating its 21st anniversary. Contestants bagged identical grocery orders consisting of approximately 40 commonly purchased items into plastic grocery bags. They were scored and ranked primarily on speed and weight distribution between bags, but individual style and proper item arrangement were also taken into account.

The event was sponsored by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, National Grocers Association, Coca-Cola North America, Roberts Dairy, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Cookies Food Products.

All the non-perishable food items used in the competition were donated to the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines.