Smucker, Wegman and Morgenthal join grocery elite
The Grocery Manufacturers Association inducted J. M. Smucker Company chairman Tim Smucker and Wegmans CEO Danny Wegman into its Hall of Achievement and presented Harris Teeter president and COO Fred Morganthall the award for Industry Collaboration Leadership.
The awards were presented during the GMA’s annual chairman’s lecture held in conjunction with the Food Marketing Institute’s mid-winter conference in Phoenix. The Hall of Achievement Award presented to Smucker and Wegman represents the highest honor given by the more than 100 year-old association. The Industry Collaboration Leadership Award received by Morganthall recognizes an industry leader who has demonstrated excellence in fostering collaboration among trading partners and programs throughout their career that better serve the consumer.
"Danny Wegman and Tim Smucker are more than pillars of industry, they are family men from two of the most admired family companies, who are as well known for their philanthropy as for their leadership," said GMA president and CEO Pamela Bailey. "It is only fitting that these two men, who partnered on so many innovative solutions throughout their professional lives, will receive GMA’s highest honor at the same time. They are a credit to our industry and it is a pleasure to honor their many contributions with these awards."
A 48-year veteran of his family’s business, Wegman is recognized as an industry innovator under whose leadership Wegmans has become $6.2 billion company consistently recognized by Fortune as one of the best places to work. Wegman worked on big industry issues such as data synchronization, Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) and a program called New Ways of Working Together. He served as chairman of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), GS1 US, GS1 Global and the FMI Food Safety Task Force.
Smucker has served as his company’s chairman, president, COO, co-chief executive and a number of different roles over the years. As vp of planning in the 1970s, he ushered in a new, more modern approach to strategic, tactical and operational planning. He is well-known for advocating for business standards, supply chain innovations and advanced technologies that have helped move Smucker’s business and the entire industry forward.
Smucker’s long standing commitment to the CPG industry is evidenced by his years of service at GMA, working to bring the industry together through long-time posts on the GMA board of directors, its executive committee and its board committee on health and wellness. Smucker continues to implement innovative new industry technology and standards in his role as vice chairman and chairman emeritus for the management board of GS1.
Morganthall started in the industry in 1973 at The Procter & Gamble Company and went on to join the wholesale and retail side of the business at Spartan Stores from 1978 to 1986, when he joined the North Carolina-based Harris Teeter. In 1997, he became president of Harris Teeter.
"Fred Morganthall’s leadership, passion and commitment have mobilized the retail and CPG industries to work together in new and innovative ways around the shared goals of serving the consumer and responsible growth," Bailey said. "At a time when our industry is facing many challenges, it is only fitting that we recognize the exemplary leadership that motivates and inspires us to strive for a higher level of trading partner collaboration."