On November 6th, the Iowa Grocery Industry Association (IGIA) announced that Mueller Yurgae Associates was named Supplier of the Year for 2023 for our commitment to advancing the grocery, convenience and food industries.
In addition to MYA, the following winners were also awarded at the IGIA Hall of Fame dinner:
- Garrett Piklapp, Fareway Stores, Inc. – Retail Leader of the Year Award
- Speed Herrig, Cookies Food Products – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Brett Spiker, Hy-Vee, Inc. – Volunteer of the Year Award
- Doug Beech, Casey’s General Stores – Legislative Leadership Award
It is a proud tradition to formally lift up those who are moving our both our association and industry forward,” says Michelle Hurd, IGIA president. “Each of these winners are outstanding examples of the values and hard work our members stand for.” Recipients are selected by the IGIA Hall of Fame committee based upon peer nomination and award-specific criteria, including contributions to the grocery industry, years of involvement in the industry, membership and participation in and contributions to the association, superior customer service and community involvement. The awards were first established in 1982 and have recognized hundreds of individuals through the decades. Learn more at iowagrocers.com/hall-of-fame-dinner.
This is the second time MYA has been named Supplier of the Year, with the first in 2009. “It’s about investing in long-term relationships. While it may take more resources to operate this way, it’s just how we do things,” says Chris Yurgae, Executive Vice President and partner of MYA. “We are always striving to prove ourselves as a trusted partner and regional expert.”
Today, MYA works across 20 states, and has five office locations including its headquarters in Grimes. The company remains focused on the Midwest market because our regional expertise is a valuable differentiator from larger national brokerages. Our leadership team has an eye on continued growth through strategic acquisitions, expanded value chain opportunities and maybe even options that aren’t yet known. “We’ve got the foot on the gas, because if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” says Bob Gostomski, Executive Vice President of lowa grocery and partner of MYA. A full interview with MYA was featured in the recent edition of Iowa Grocer magazine.
From all of us at MYA, we would like to thank the Iowa Grocery Industry Association for this recognition!