Coles celebrates its 2022 Coles Supplier Partner Awards

Coles has celebrated its 2022 Coles Supplier Partner Awards, recognising Australian businesses which have driven innovation, sustainability and community support in a year punctuated by floods, supply chain challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Held in Melbourne last week, Coles’ Supplier Partner Awards recognised 16 businesses for excellence in providing merchandise and services across the supermarket’s business amid often difficult circumstances.

Coles CEO Steven Cain thanked supplier partners for their support over the last year and congratulated the winners on their commitment to innovation, sustainability and inspiring Coles’ customers.

“Amid the challenges of floods, supply chain disruptions and COVID-19, our supplier partners have shown incredible commitment, resilience and collaboration,” Cain said.

“As part of our ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, we have made significant progress thanks to strong collaboration from our supplier partners focussed on innovation around sustainability, health, convenience and value,” he said.

Linfox Logistics took home the 2022 Coles Supply Chain Partner of the Year award.

“Linfox Logistics won the Supply Chain Partner of the Year Award for providing outstanding support and innovative solutions to ensure the delivery of goods through the challenges of extreme floods, rail closures and COVID-19,” Coles said in a statement.

“Linfox is honoured to receive this award recognising our strategic partnership with Coles, which began more than 50 years ago,” said Tim Trewin, Linfox General Manager for Coles.

“We are proud to support Coles to sustainably feed Australian communities while navigating significant supply chain disruptions,” Trewin said.

Related: Woolworths names its top suppliers of the year

Norco and Bulla were awarded joint winners of the Community Champion Award for providing support to the Lismore community and to Coles customers in the wake of one of the nation’s worst flood disasters.

Mondelez took out the Product of the Year Award for its Curtis Stone’ Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Slice Block, which was the biggest-ever launch of a product in the confectionery category at Coles.

The Marriott family near Benalla was announced Coles Sustainability Partner of the Year for its role in measuring and mapping its carbon footprint as part of the launch of Coles’ new carbon neutral beef range.

Source: Linfox, Coles media releases.