Three in a row for Scots Spar force

THE Dundee-based food and drink wholesaler that’s the force behind the Spar symbol store network in Scotland, CJ Lang & Son, was named the best wholesale business in the country at the 2015 Scottish Wholesale Achievers, the awards programme created and organised by the Scottish Wholesale Association.

Bill Mair, sales director CJ Lang & Son, centre, and colleagues receive the Champion of Champions Award at the Scottish Wholesale Achievers presentation. The award is sponsored by Philip Morris. Also pictured are Scottish Wholesale Association executive director Kate Salmon, second left, and the event presenter Cat Cubie, second right.
Bill Mair, sales director CJ Lang & Son, centre, and colleagues receive the Champion of Champions Award at the Scottish Wholesale Achievers presentation. The award is sponsored by Philip Morris. Also pictured are Scottish Wholesale Association executive director Kate Salmon, second left, and the event presenter Cat Cubie, second right.

A long-established, family-owned business, CJ Lang owns 120 Spar stores across Scotland and supplies a further 200 independent Spar outlets north of the border. It fended off competition from across Scotland to win the programme’s Champion of Champions award, sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris.

Scottish Wholesale Achievers Award number two for CJ Lang as the team receives the award for Best Symbol Group, sponsored by Cott.
Scottish Wholesale Achievers Award number two for CJ Lang as the team receives the award for Best Symbol Group, sponsored by Cott.

It was a successful night at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Hotel for CJ Lang, which also took the awards in the Best Symbol Group and Best Delivered Operation – Retail categories, sponsored by soft drinks firm Cott and Imperial Tobacco UK respectively. It was also runner-up in the Best Marketing Initiative award – sponsored by Taylors of Harrogate – for its ‘Shop & Win’ campaign.

Jillian Blaney of Mondelez International, second right, was named Supplier Sales Executive of the Year in an Achievers category sponsored by Sugro.
Jillian Blaney of Mondelez International, second right, was named Supplier Sales Executive of the Year in an Achievers category sponsored by Sugro.

Judges praised what they saw as CJ Lang’s passion and commitment to its business. Karen Murray, regional sales manager at sponsor Philip Morris, said: “The market is very competitive in Scotland and this year’s Champion of Champions displayed a great winning mindset throughout, demonstrating best practice in many areas.”

The team from CJ Lang on stage to receive the first of a total of three Achievers awards, Best Delivered Operation – Retail, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco UK.
The team from CJ Lang on stage to receive the first of a total of three Achievers awards, Best Delivered Operation – Retail, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco UK.

In the Best Delivered Operation – Retail category Duncan Cunningham, head of corporate and legal affairs at Imperial Tobacco UK, said that CJ Lang “stood out as an example of best practice”.

Whyte & Mackay took the Scottish Wholesale Achievers 2015 supplier award for Best Overall Service.
Whyte & Mackay took the Scottish Wholesale Achievers 2015 supplier award for Best Overall Service.

And in the Best Symbol Group category, judges Julie Kelly, Scotland wholesale manager with Cott and Melanie Morrisey, the soft drinks firm’s wholesale and field sales controller, praised CJ Lang’s ability to turn challenges into an opportunity to raise standards within Spar, and hailed the company’s symbol standards as “world-class”.

Fiona Seggie, business development manager at Iain Hill Ltd, second left, was named Employee of the Year in a category sponsored by Mondelez International.
Fiona Seggie, business development manager at Iain Hill Ltd, second left, was named Employee of the Year in a category sponsored by Mondelez International.

Kate Salmon, executive director of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Wholesale Association, said of CJ Lang: “The company has set a very high benchmark for our industry and we should all be inspired by its desire to keep on improving standards.”

United Wholesale Grocers, Springburn took top place, and the award, in the Best Cash & Carry Depot category, sponsored by JTI.
United Wholesale Grocers, Springburn took top place, and the award, in the Best Cash & Carry Depot category, sponsored by JTI.

Scottish Wholesale Achievers

Roll of Honour 2015

 

Corporate Responsibility Award, sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises

Winner: Bidvest 3663

Runner-up: Sutherland Brothers

Highly commended: Gordon & MacPhail

Great Place to Work, sponsored by AG Barr

Winner: Iain Hill Ltd

Runner-up: Bidvest 3663

Highly commended: Booker, Galashiels

Sales Executive of the Year, sponsored by Sugro

Winner: Jillian Blaney, Mondelez International

Runner-up: Lawrence Findlay, Unilever Food Solutions

Highly commended: Linda Fraser, Nestlé First Choice

Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice, sponsored by Premier Foods

Winner: Fáilte Foods

Runner-up: William Yule and Son

Highly commended: Dunns Food and Drinks

Best Delivered Operation – Retail, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco UK

Winner: CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: United Wholesale (Scotland)

Highly commended: Booker, Port Dundas

Best Delivered Operation – On-Trade, sponsored by Britvic Soft Drinks

Winner: Gordon & MacPhail

Runner-up: Sutherland Brothers

Highly commended: Dunns Food and Drinks

Project Scotland

Winner: Diageo for ‘Learning for Life Scotland’

Runner-up: AG Barr for ‘Best Games Ever’ Glasgow 2014

Highly commended: JTI for ‘Win with the Winners’ help with preparation for the tobacco display ban

Employee of the Year – sponsored by Mondelez International

Winner: Fiona Seggie, business development manager at Iain Hill Ltd

Runner-up: Ross Macpherson, merchandising and project manager, United Wholesale (Scotland), Queenslie

Highly commended: Surjeet Singh, checkout supervisor at United Wholesale Grocers, Springburn

Best Symbol Group, sponsored by Cott

Winner: Spar from CJ Lang & Son

Runner-up: Day-Today from United Wholesale (Scotland)

Highly commended: Lifestyle from Landmark Wholesale

Best Advertising Campaign

Winner: Foster’s Radler ‘Good Call – Volleyball’

Best Marketing Initiative, sponsored by Taylors of Harrogate

Winner: Forteith Foodservice, for ‘Becoming Scotland’s Larder’

Runner-up: CJ Lang & Son, for ‘Shop & Win’

Highly commended: Sutherland Brothers, for its campaign to increase online ordering

Best Overall Service

Winner: Whyte & Mackay

Runner-up: AG Barr

Highly commended: Maxxium UK

Best Cash & Carry Depot, sponsored by JTI

Winner: United Wholesale Grocers, Springburn

Runner-up: United Wholesale (Scotland), Queenslie

Highly commended: Booker, Hamilton

2015 Champion of Champions, sponsored by Philip Morris

Winner: CJ Lang & Son