March 24, 2010

NEWS RELEASE!

Las Vegas, NV: All Star Association, Inc. held its 52nd annual convention March 21-25 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort. President Robert Mertz and Executive Director Jeff Sterne presided over another record attendance, which included 54 dairy, water, food, and custom mold members representing 107 plants.

Newly elected board members were:

Mr. Carl Colteryahn III	Carl Colteryahn Dairy	Pittsburg, PA
Mr. John Bedrosian	Unified Grocers	Los Angeles, CA
Mr. Larry Kurz	Readington Farms	Whitehouse, NJ
Mr. Robert Mertz	Schneider Valley Farms	Williamsport, PA

The following were recognized with awards:

Member of the Year Award – Readington Farms – Whitehouse, NJ

Purchasing Award – Toft's Dairy – Sandusky, OH

Purchasing Award – The Ice Cream Club – Boynton Beach, FL

Quality Assurance Awards –

Best Milk - Aurora Organic Milk – Platteville, CO
Best Ice Cream – BGC Manufacturing – Tyler, TX
Best Buttermilk – Upstate Niagara Co-op – Buffalo, NY
Best Sour Cream – Upstate Niagara Co-op – West Seneca, NY
Best Cottage Cheese – Turner Dairy – Pittsburgh, PA
Best Yogurt - BGC Manufacturing – Tyler, TX
Best Ice Cream Mix – Schneider-Valley Farms – Williamsport, PA
“Doc Lawrence” Most Improved Plant – Country Classic Dairies – Bozeman, MT

“Thoroughbred Award” – (Supplier of the Year) – Ecolab Food & Beverage – St. Paul, MN

The John D. Utterback Annual College Scholarship awarded $5,000 evenly to the following member employees or dependants:

Patrick MacNeil – Scotsburn Dairy – Nova Scotia Ag.
Nicholas McAbee – Prairie Farms – Indiana University
Kimberly Patterson – O-AT-KA Dairy – Canisius College
Brittany Oden – Belfonte Ice Cream – Donnelly College
Logan Meisler – Toft's Dairy – Bowling Green University

The convention featured cutting edge speakers covering consumer demographics, FDA inspection preparation, forensic accounting, benchmarking, leadership, consumer trends, new packaging, and the annual All Star presentation.

Headlining the speakers were Connie Tipton of IDFA, Sheri Flies of Costco, and Tom DeGroot of Darden's Restaurants.

The association, started in 1958, has 203 member companies representing over 350 plants in 48 states, Puerto Rico, and Nova Scotia as well as 24 affiliate members.