All Star awards members at annual convention.

Lexington, Ky.-based All Star Dairy Association Inc. held its 49th annual convention in March at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. President Richard Washburn and executive director Jeff Sterne presided over a record attendance of 341 people, which included 48 dairy, water and custom-mold members representing 64 plants.

Newly elected board members include John Bedrosian of Unified Western Grocers, Carl Colteryahn of Colteryahn Dairy, Larry Kurz of Readington Farms and Robert Mertz of Schneider Valley Farms.

The convention featured presentations from Rich Lewis of Dairy America and Mark Risinger of Cargill Sweeteners, discussing commodities; professor Marianne Jennings of ASU, covering business ethics; Kevin Imm of Clover Stornetta, speaking on organic products; Craig Akins reporting on employee productivity; and IDFA’s Chip Kunde providing a recap of the “Washington scene.”

Established in 1955, the association has 190 member companies representing 289 plants in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Nova Scotia.

The following association members were recognized with awards:
Dairy of the Year Award — Rutters Dairy, York, Pa.
Purchasing Awards (large company) — Cass Clay Creamery, Fargo, N.D. and Mid-States Dairy, Hazelwood, Mo.
Purchasing Award (small company) — YoCream International, Portland, Ore.

Quality Assurance Awards:
Best Fluid Plant — Producers Dairy, Fresno, Calif.
Best Culture Plant — Schneider Dairy, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Best Ice Cream Plant — BGC Southwest Ice Cream, Tyler, Texas.
“Doc Lawrence” Most Improved Plant — Producers Dairy, Fresno, Calif.
“Thoroughbred Award” (Supplier of the Year) — Cargill Sweeteners, Wayzata, Minn.

The $5,000 John D. Utterback Annual College Scholarship was awarded evenly to the following member employees or dependants to be used toward a Food & Science degree:
Allan Gillis, Scotsburn Dairy — Cape Breton University
Emily Caldwell, Marburger Dairy — Penn State
Tiffany Boudreau — Scotsburn Dairy — Cape Breton University
Tobin Breland, BGC — University of Texas-Tyler
Logan Meisler, Toft’s Dairy — Bowling Green University