Newmar Corp. hosted an elite group at its annual Vendor Appreciation Banquet Thursday evening, Oct. 17, at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury, Ind.
About 170 people attended the event, at which suppliers and their employees were honored in various categories. They were honored for outstanding performance in service and supply to Newmar with various components and material used in production of its motorhome products.
This year’s winner of the prestigious Virgil Miller Award of Excellence was Natural Stone and Tile.
The annual banquet recognizes suppliers for outstanding performance based on internal surveys measuring each supplier in multiple categories while interacting with Newmar’s purchasing, manufacturing, quality, service and engineering departments, according to the company.
A score of 195 of a possible 201 points was required for the suppliers to earn an invitation to the evening’s festivities. Individuals are recognized for the service, dedication, and commitment to serve Newmar.
The companies and individuals recognized were:
Customer Service Award
- Denise Ballenger – Amerikart Corp.
- Kelcie Banks – Villa International
- Tammy Washburn – Equipment Services
Salesperson of the Year
- Dick Freel – Kampco Steel Products
Delivery Service Award
- John Hunter – Eckhart Woodworking
Engineering Innovation Award
- HWH Corp.
Manufacturing Support Award
- Jim Hoff – Industrial Finishes
Top 10 Suppliers:
- Cass Hudson Co.
- Country Road Doors
- DH Machine
- PTL Engineering
- Sika Corp.
- SLB Products
- Spartan Motors
- Ultra-Fabrics
- Uni-Grip
- Westland Sales
Virgil Miller Award
- Natural Stone and Tile
From left: Matt Miller, president and CEO; John Sammut, VP of sales and marketing; Elizabeth Hall, sourcing manager; Matt McQuown, VP of supply chain; Laura Christy, president/owner Natural Stone and Tile; Kevin Bogan, VP of operations; Ron Stichter, VP of product development and engineering.