DES MOINES, Iowa – Get ready to support your favorite grocery bagger at the Iowa Best Bagger Competition during the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 9. This fun and free event is a highlight of the fair, showcasing baggers as they race to expertly pack groceries while ensuring nothing gets squished or broken.

(Grimes, IA) -- Mueller Yurgae Associates (MYA), a leading food broker and CSN Partner, is proud to announce the establishment of three distinct business divisions to streamline operations and better serve a diverse client base. The new divisions, Grocery North, Grocery South, and Convenience, Specialty, and Distribution (CSD), will organize all lines of business within the company going forward.

NEWS RELEASE (BOONE, IA) – Midwest Quality Wholesale, Inc. recently announced the promotion of Aaron Irlbeck, Executive Vice President of Midwest Quality Wholesale, Inc. & Campus Operations.​

Iowa Grocery Industry Association Hall of Fame award winners celebrated Nov. 6

URBANDALE, NOVEMBER 9, 2023: The Iowa Grocery Industry Association (IGIA) is honored to recognize its 2023 Hall of Fame award winners and their extraordinary commitment to advancing the grocery, convenience and food industries.

“It is a proud tradition to formally lift up those who are moving our both our association and industry forward,” says Michelle Hurd, IGIA president. “Each of these winners are outstanding examples of the values and hard work our members stand for.”

Hundreds of industry professionals and supporters gathered to celebrate the winners during a ceremony on Nov. 6 in West Des Moines.

Congratulations to the following Hall of Fame award winners:

• Garrett Piklapp, Fareway Stores, Inc. – Retail Leader of the Year Award
• Speed Herrig, Cookies Food Products – Lifetime Achievement Award
• Brett Spiker, Hy-Vee, Inc. – Volunteer of the Year Award
• Doug Beech, Casey’s General Stores – Legislative Leadership Award
• Mueller Yurgae Associates – Supplier of the Year Award

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Recipients are selected by the IGIA Hall of Fame committee based upon peer nomination and award-specific criteria, including contributions to the grocery industry, years of involvement in the industry, membership and participation in and contributions to the association, superior customer service and community involvement. The awards were first established in 1982 and have recognized hundreds of individuals through the decades. Learn more at iowagrocers.com/hall-of-fame-dinner. 

October 20, 2023
 
During the Certco, Inc. Board of Directors meeting earlier this month, David Ryman, Executive Vice President advised the Board of his planned retirement in September of 2024.  Ryman has been in the grocery industry for the past 47 years, and with Certco since 2001. 

​Be sure to add the Iowa Best Bagger Contest to your State Fair To-Do List
 
DES MOINES, Iowa – Make plans to cheer on your favorite grocery bagger during the Iowa Best Bagger Competition at the Iowa State Fair, Friday, August 11. Always a crowd pleaser, the fun, free event delivers plenty of excitement as baggers do their best to build balanced bags, avoid crushing loaves of bread and breaking eggs, and do it faster than the competition.
 
The annual Iowa Best Bagger Contest, hosted by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, takes place annually at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The competition will begin at 1 p.m. on the stage of the Susan Knapp Amphitheater, located on Grand Ave., east of the grandstand and midway just past the Animal Learning Center on the north side of the street.  

Waupaca WI – Bernatello’s Pizza, Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of frozen pizza, has announced the acquisition of Festive Foods, LLC out of Waupaca, WI. Owned and operated by Mike Holmgren since 2008, they were a trusted co-packer of frozen pizzas.
 
“The acquisition will allow us to continue our aggressive growth plan, adding capacity, along with new and exciting innovation. We’d like to thank Mike Holmgren and team for their efforts and perseverance in building a new facility after a devastating fire in June of 2022. We are very excited to welcome the Festive team to the Bernatello’s Family.” stated Chad Schultz, President of Bernatello’s.
 
Bernatello’s Pizza, Inc currently operates a plant in Kaukauna, WI and Maple Lake, MN, producing over 60 million pizzas annually under the brands of Brew Pub Lotzza Motzza, Bellatoria, Roma, Orv’s and Pizza Corner. Owned and operated by the Ramsay Family since 1982.
 
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NEWS RELEASE (Hull, IA) – Fareway Stores, Inc. plans to construct an approximately 10,600 square foot store at the southwest corner of Highway 18 and Division Street in Hull. Construction is planned to begin in late summer 2023, with a tentative opening in spring 2024.