Tyson Foods Inc. has announced seven companies as winners in its thirteenth annual “Supplier of the Year” awards program. The awards were presented at a luncheon at Tyson Foods’ World Headquarters attended by Tyson Foods’ President and CEO Tom Hayes and Senior Vice President of Procurement Melanie Russell.

Winners of the 2017 Supplier of the Year award include:

• Hantover, of Kansas City, MO, supplier of MRO distribution
• Hugg & Hall Equipment Company, of Springdale, AR, supplier of location services
• Bunzl Processor Division, of Riverside, MO, supplier of OEM and Aftermarket
• Archer Daniels Midland, of Decatur, IL, supplier of ingredients
• Cargill Kitchen Solutions, of Monticello, MN, supplier of specialty ingredients

Additionally, several companies were honored for their excellence in specific areas:

• Packaging Specialties, Inc., of Fayetteville, AR, as “Diversity Supplier of the Year.”
• Symrise, Inc., of Teterboro, NJ, as “Innovator of the Year.”

The recognitions were based on supply-chain performance, total cost of ownership, pricing programs, customer-service performance, innovation, sustainability initiatives, and other performance metrics observed throughout the year.

“Our suppliers are integral to the delivery of our Customer Promise – our belief that when our customers win, we win,” said Tom Schaeffer, senior director, procurement for Tyson Foods. “The suppliers recognized this year clearly reflect this same belief – developing deep, collaborative partnerships focused first on providing value, service and innovative solutions that help Tyson Foods win for and with our customers.”