The annual SWA Acheivers awards evening was held in Edinburgh last month and SLR was there to see companies including United Wholesale Glasgow and United Wholesale (Scotland) take top honours along with CJ Lang.
CJ Lang & Son has been named the best wholesale business in Scotland at this year’s Scottish Wholesale Achievers awards. The Scottish Wholesale Association’s Achievers programme was hosted by TV presenter Cathy Macdonald at the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh last month.
CJ Lang, which owns 114 Spar stores across Scotland and supplies 187 independent Spar outlets, fought off stiff competition to win the Champion of Champions accolade. The company also won in two other categories: Best Retail Wholesaler (Delivered), and a new award for 2012, Best Symbol Group.
Judges praised CJ Lang’s “outstanding performance” across all aspects of the business. “This company’s exceptional next-day, or even same-day, deliveries contribute greatly to giving customers a first-class service,” said Peter Baird, Field Sales Development Manager at Kraft Foods, sponsor of the Champion of Champions award.
Speaking afterwards, Bill Mair, CJ Lang’s Sales Director, said: “We’re very much a people-focussed business and these awards reflect this. Our commitment to providing the best possible levels of customer service is at the very heart of everything we do at CJ Lang and every member of staff has a role to play in this.
“As our competitors will testify, our industry is tough at the moment but there are opportunities for growth if you are innovative and we will continue to invest in marketing, promotions and improving operating cost efficiencies through technology to seek out those opportunities.”
Other winners on the night included JW Filshill, which won the Great Place to Work Award, United Wholesales Grocers whose Springburn depot won Best Cash & Carry Depot, while Abhay Singh from the company’s Polmadie branch won Employee of the Year. Best Marketing Initiative went to United Wholesale (Scotland), while AG Barr scooped four supplier awards.
Winners
Champion of Champions:
CJ Lang
Great Place to Work:
JW Filshill
Best Cash & Carry Depot:
United Wholesale Grocers, Springburn
Best Delivered Operation – Retail:
CJ Lang
Best Symbol Group:
Spar, CJ Lang
Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice:
3663
Best Delivered Operation – On-Trade:
Sutherland Brothers
Corporate Responsibility Award:
Forteith Foodservice
Best Marketing Initiative:
United Wholesale (Scotland)
Employee of the Year:
Abhay Singh, United Wholesale Grocers, Polmadie
Best Advertising Campaign:
Irn-Bru ‘Fanny’
Project Scotland:
AG Barr
Best Overall Service:
AG Barr
Supplier Sales Executive of the Year:
Keir Stewart, AG Barr
