United Pet Group Aquatics (Blacksburg, Va.) was named Supplier of the Year and Super Dog Pet Food Co. (Leola, Pa.) was named Distributor of the Year during the Pet Industry Distributors Association’s annual management conference, held March 4-8 at in San Antonio.

PIDA’s Performance Benchmarking Awards program recognizes manufacturers and distributors for specific policies and practices that help drive cost from the distribution channel and that make the companies good channel partners. PIDA distributor members submit ballots rating 100 affiliate manufacturer members on a five-point scale; the manufacturer with the highest average score in all categories wins the Supplier of the Year Award. Similarly, manufacturer members submit ballots rating all 55 PIDA distributor members; the distributor with the highest average score in all categories wins the Distributor of the Year Award.

Winning suppliers included:

Best sales support: United Pet Group Aquatics.  JW Pet Co. Inc. (Teterboro, N.J.) was second. NaturVet/Garmon Corp. (Temecula, Calif.) was third. Lixit Corp. (Napa, Calif.) was cited for most improvement.

Marketing and promotions: United Pet Group Aquatics.  JW Pet Co. Inc. was second. Zoo Med Laboratories Inc. (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) was third. Royal Canin USA (St. Charles, Mo.) was cited for most improvement.

Logistics and operations: Coastal Pet Products Inc. (Alliance, Ohio). United Pet Group Aquatics was second. Sun Seed Co. Inc. (Bowling Green, Ohio) was third. Boyd Enterprises Inc. (Miami) was cited for most improvement.

Royal Canin USA was honored for demonstrating the greatest overall improvement in all three supplier categories.

Winning distributors included:

Best sales support: Animal Supply Co. (Federal Way, Wash.). Lone Star Pet Supply Inc. (Schertz, Texas) was second. Pet Food Experts (Cumberland, R.I.) was third. Animal Supply Co. was cited for most improvement.

Marketing and promotions: Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.). Wilson Pet Supply Inc. (Hanover Park, Ill.) was second. Super Dog Pet Food Co. was third. Gardner Distributing Co. (Billings, Mont.) was cited for most improvement.

Logistics and operations: Wilson Pet Supply Inc. Super Dog Pet Food Co. was second. Lee-Mar Aquarium & Pet Supply (Vista, Calif.) was third. Animal Supply Co. was cited for most improvement.

Animal Supply Co. was honored for demonstrating the greatest overall improvement in all three distributor categories.

PIDA also elected officers for 2008: Steven King, continuing as president of the association; Robert Merar of General Pet Supply (Milwaukee), chairman; Roger Johannigman of Loveland Pet Products (Mason, Ohio), first vice chairman; Fred Schober of Super Dog Pet Food Co., second vice chairman; and Rob Chouinard of Gardner Distributing Co., secretary/treasurer. Donald Fleming of Quality Pets Inc. (Oklahoma City) is immediate past chairman.

Danny Selman of Lone Star Pet Supply, Jeff Sutherland of Central Garden & Pet Co., Perry Parks of Wolverton Inc. (Lansing, Mich.) and Mary Wyld of Wyld’s Wingdom (Norfolk, Va.) were elected to two-year terms to the board of directors.

PIDA’s next management conference will take place Jan. 13-16, 2009, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. For more information, visit www.pida.org. [June 2008 PET AGE]