Animal nutrition brand Purina held a Winner’s Circle awards night last August 4 at Acacia Hotel in Alabang. The gathering served as the first face-to-face engagement of about 50 of Purina’s top partners and suppliers around the country after the pandemic, where they were duly recognized for their exceptional performance in the past year.
(L-R) Mr. Fernando Torres, Cargill Commercial Director for Retail handed a plaque and trophy to Mr. Nelson Pua, owner of Davao United Montgomery Enterprises Corp (Dumec) for winning the Dealer of the Year and Motivational Trip Awards.
“The pandemic and ASF (African swine fever) were real game-changers but through the partnership and growth mindset of our distributors, we navigated a challenging market and thrived,” said Mr. Fernando Torres, Commercial Director for Purina Retail. “Winner’s Circle is an annual recognition program for distributors to celebrate their success and partnership with Purina. The challenges in fiscal year 2022 made the awards a unique experience to us all.”
Mr. Fernando Torres, Cargill Commercial Director for Retail, shared how the business navigated the pandemic and supported its partners and distributors.
With the theme “A Celebration of Excellence,” Winner’s Circle rolled out the red carpet for its top distributors who embraced a growth mindset to deliver exceptional outcomes during a challenging year.
10 distributors received the FY 2022 Goal Hitters Awards – Davao United Montgomery Ent.Corp. (DUMEC), Pacifica Agrivet, L.B. Poultry Supply, Rich Earth, AJX Agri Trading, People’s Choice Agrivet Supply, Cupid’s Trading, Elite Enterprises, J. Lanzar Trading and GNCN Feeds Supply.
Four distributors received top regional awards – GNCN Feeds Supply, Luzon Regional Champ; Pacifica Agrivet, Visayas Regional Champ; People’s Choice Agrivet Supply, Mindanao Regional Champ, and J. Lanzar, Aqua Segment Champ.
DUMEC, People’s Choice Agrivet Supply, GNCN Feeds Supply, Elite Enterprises, and AJX Agri Trading received the Motivational South Korea Trip Award.
Special awards were given to up-and-rising distributors – S&P Enterprises, Rookie of the Year; Rich Earth, Aqua Prime Special Award; JT Agri Supply, Luzon Volume Champ and GreenLine Agrivet Supplies, VisMin Volume Champ.
The much-coveted Dealer of the Year Award went to DUMEC.
Recognizing successful partnerships
Nelson Pua, Davao United Montgomery Enterprises Corp (DUMEC) owner, shared how his partnership with Cargill grew over the years.
Cargill in the Philippines (wearing white) and its power distributors (wearing blue) celebrated its first-ever recognition event at Acacia Hotel in Alabang.
“A good friend opened the door to be in partnership with Cargill in 2012, it’s been 10 years now. We started very small at that time and are growing in every way. When we started to distribute Purina feeds, the volume jumped since then,” recalled Mr. Pua. “This is the first time being celebrated by Purina, and it is really flattering. We are very grateful that they have recognized our hard work, and the team working very hard despite the challenges of the industry and the pandemic.”
Navigating a rough year
The retail industry, which included retailers of animal and agriculture supplies like the ones Purina distributed, was hard hit by the pandemic and ASF. Retail relies on groundwork; without it, you will not be recognized. The use of technology allowed business communication to continue; however, face-to-face interaction proved irreplaceable.
Purina holding the Winner’s Circle program allowed the distributors to relax after a year of hard work. This event allowed the company to connect with its distributors and celebrate success despite challenging times. They were excited to meet in person and create new partnerships and synergies to move the business forward.
Setting the stage for retail growth
According to Mr. Torres, Purina in the Philippines has laid the groundwork for retail growth in support of its partners and distributors. With its Socio-Connect, Purina maintains 4,500 Agrivet stores and supports them with programs depending on their territory. There is also a Purina Day event, an activity to promote and sell Purina products and sampling activities. Finally, the company deploys Market Development Representatives (MDRs) to introduce Purina products to the feeders and conduct trials.
“All the winners and all top performers for this fiscal year know that without their help and collaboration, we would not have seen success. We are all doing our part, giving all-out support to our business partners,” added Mr. Torres. “To the Purina team, last year was a very challenging time, but I would like to thank you for your relentless effort and determination despite the challenges. Congratulations, team, for doing good this fiscal year again! We will continue the momentum of sustainable growth for the Purina business.”
Purina intends to continue these recognition events in line with its goal of helping the Filipino people thrive. From providing them with a means of livelihood, support and nutrition for animal companions for further well-being, up to recognizing the retailers’ efforts to extend this intention, it provides a holistic approach to supporting their partners.
ADVT.