The beef checkoff-funded Retail Beef Backer Award recognizes retailers for their
commitment to outstanding beef marketing and merchandising programs. Winners
presented with the 2009 Retail Beef Backer Awards at the 2010 Cattle Industry
Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, were Sendik’s Food Markets, Southern
Family Markets, Harris Teeter Supermarkets and Supervalu, Inc.
“The Retail Beef Backer Awards highlight the exceptional work retailers do
throughout the year to increase beef demand,” says Jim Henger, executive
director of marketing for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA),
contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. “This program is one way beef producers
show their appreciation to retailers for their efforts to support our industry.”
The 2009 award winners are:
- Large Chain Retailer: Harris Teeter Supermarkets (194 stores), based in
Matthews, N.C. - Mid-Size Retailer: Southern Family Markets (66 stores), based in
Birmingham, Ala. - Independent Retailer: Sendik’s Food Markets (8 stores), based in Whitefish
Bay, Wisc. - Innovator of the Year: Supervalu, Inc. (2,500 stores), based in Eden
Prairie, Minn., for their launch of their Stockman & Dakota branded beef line
Retail Beef Backer Award winners are selected based on their excellent
merchandising of beef at the meat case. A third-party judging panel also took
into consideration the retailers’ tie-ins with beef checkoff-funded initiatives
such as Middle Meat Mania, Beef Alternative Merchandising (BAM), Hispanic
Marketing, Easy Fresh Cooking, Beef Training Camp and Summer Grilling
promotions. Applicants are also judged on non-beef checkoff-funded beef
promotions that focus on increasing beef demand among their customers. Such
programs include outstanding beef promotions, co-marketing promotions and
customer education programs.
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The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The
checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle,
in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products.
States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per
head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the
national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source:
The
Beef Checkoff