All Star continues strong growth through membership additions and new purchasing programs.  Dairy membership continues to grow, but All Star continues to see solid growth in other manufacturing sectors.  Great success has been achieved in its sugar, freight, resin and energy programs, giving its members a competitive edge.  This is in addition to its list of over 150 suppliers offering discounts in the major categories of:

  • Packaging (resin, caps, cartons, bottles, bags, labels, bulk cans, bulk totes)
  • Ingredients (flavorings, juice/tea concentrates, nuts, confections, powders, vitamins, drink bases, oils, sweeteners, fruits)
  • Cleaning/Sanitizing/Water Treatment/Lubricants
  • Coolers/Freezers/Dispensers/Lab Supplies/Uniforms
  • Plastic Cases & Pallets/Stretch & Shrink Film
  • Tires/Trucks/Autos/Parts/Decals/Oil/Forklifts & Parts

Led by Executive Director Jeff Sterne and a very capable and experienced staff, All Star has recently had a number of staff changes.  In 2015, All Star added Bryan Sterne as business development manager - East, Joe Moore as business development manager - West, and Alli McClure as purchasing analyst.  On Jan. 1, Doug Eikenbary was promoted to vice president of sales and member services.  Jolene Weir, senior accountant, retired May of 2016, and Alan Parrish joined the All Star team in May as senior accountant.

Valuable services that pay off

Beyond saving money with purchasing programs, All Star offers many services to its members to assist in savings, compliance and efficiency, such as:

On-Line Training. Imagine having affordable industry-specific training available 24/7 that not only educates but keeps precise records to satisfy government regulations.  Many of the courses are available in both English and Spanish.  The wide range of subjects includes basic first aid, chemical safety, fork lift operations, workplace HR issues, safe driver training, lock-out and tag-out as well as many other related modules.

Energy Program. All Star recently selected Constellation Energy as their endorsed energy supplier.  The All Star energy program helps members proactively manage their energy budget.

On-Line Quotes. Obtaining quotes from multiple freight haulers/consolidators, sugar, cocoa and dairy commodity suppliers is easy through the quote tab on All Star’s website.

All Star University. Qualified consultants that specialize in the following areas of concentration offer members’ expert advice at discounted rates: Operations and Food Safety; Engineering & Maintenance; Manufacturing Intelligence; Accounting & Software; Distribution; Blow Molding Training; Safety & OSHA Compliance and Human Resource Services.

Quality Assurance. In 2013 All Star announced that its annual audit had been realigned with the standard SQF audit to save members from obtaining two separate examinations.  This allows members to be SQF-certified at their low discounted rate while at the same time participating in the All Star annual QA awards program. 

Collaborative Reviews. All Star recently conducted a collaborative review on four-quart and five-quart plastic ice cream pails saving participating members an average of 40% on their total unit price.  All Star has a number of collaborative reviews planned over the next year to combine the volume of members across several items and supplier categories.

This article was prepared by All Star Association.  For more information, visit www.allstarassociation.com.