iControl Announces 2016 "Client of the Year" Awards!

iControl's Valued Retailer, Supplier and Distributor Clients are Recognized for their Commitment to Advancements in Technology that Revolutionize the Supply Chain

BURTONSVILLE, MD, December 19, 2016 - iControl Data Solutions (iControl), a leading process improvement and business insights provider to Retailers, Suppliers and Brokers, announced today the winners of the 2016 "Client of the Year" awards.

 iControl's Chairman and co-CEO, Tal J. Zlotnitsky, introduced this year's awards:

"iControl is proud to announce the awards for the 2016 Client of the Year. This is our Company's way of recognizing progressive retailer, supplier, distributor and broker clients that have seized the opportunities available with industry-leading technology and innovation in Data Sharing, Payments and Analytics. Further, we recognize their commitment to supporting these disruptive technologies and contributing to their ongoing enhancement to ensure our solutions are consistently setting the standard of excellence both in their utility and application. 

My sincere congratulations to all of this year's winners."

Alcohol Client of the Year:  Spec's Wine, Spirits & Fine Foods

The original Spec's Wine, Spirits, & Finer Foods was founded by Carroll B. "Spec" Jackson and Carolynn Jackson in 1962 and opened it's first store in Houston, TX. The company was awarded the "Best Liquor Store of the Year" for nine consecutive years by the Houston Press, and in 2005 new owners Lindy and John Rydman won Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award. Spec's operates over 165 store locations and as of 2010 was the 5th largest retailer of wine in the US.

Accepting the award is Steve Jabour - the State Director of Wholesale Sales and Operations for Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods:

"We have been very happy with our experience working with iControl over the past year. iControl is responsive to our needs and more importantly, our suggestions to continually improve their EFT solution. Spec's and our retailers are extremely satisfied with iControl's product and pricing. Everyone wins!"

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"I am very proud of our partnership with Spec's Liquor. They embody the same spirit of entrepreneurship and dedication to customer service that iControl's culture is built on. Their constant innovation in the alcohol category is evident in the recognition and awards they have received, but also in the success the company has attained - specifically as one of the top wine retailers in the country. I am honored to present them with iControl's award for "Alcohol Client of the Year" for 2016."

Enterprise Alcohol Distributor of the Year:  Monarch Beverage Company

Monarch Beverage Company was founded in 1947 by Edwin T. French Sr. The company has been family-owned for three generations, and has grown to be Indiana's largest distributor of beer and wine. Monarch Beverage is proud to have become an industry leader over the last 60 years represents, and now represents over 500 brands with a focus on efficient operations and best-in-class customer service.

Accepting the award is Linda Pell - the Director of Finance for Monarch Beverage: 

"Monarch Beverage is proud of our association with iControl. iControl has helped Monarch continue to distinguish itself as an industry leader through its efficient operations and customer service via EFT with iControl. We particularly appreciate the value iControl adds to our business as we deliver an average of 60,000 cases of product a day to retail customers throughout the state of Indiana. We look forward to growing our relationship with iControl in the coming years."

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"Monarch Beverage has been a tremendous partner to iControl. They are a great example of how a forward-thinking Alcohol Distributor can harness supply chain innovation to advance the alcohol category and become an industry leader. Congratulations to Linda and her team! We look forward to our expanding partnership and supporting Monarch as they continue to change the game."

Emerging Alcohol Distributor of the Year:  Cherokee Distributing

Cherokee Distributing was founded in 1958 by George W. Sampson and is headquartered in Knoxville, TN. They began with only four delivery trucks and quickly grew to distribute brands such as Miller, Cororna, Molson, Coors, Beck's Beer, Samuel Adams, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Grolsch, Shiner Bock, Stella Artois, Lowenbrau, and Heineken. In January of this year, the company acquired Mid-South Distributing, a Middle Tennessee wholesale beverage company, which allowed them to expand their service area from 22 to 53 counties in Tennessee.

Accepting the award is Eric Archer - the Controller for Cherokee Distributing:

"We've had a great experience with iControl. All aspects of their solution have been outstanding; training, RAS integration and retail execution. iControl's EFT Solution saves us at least 5 to 15 minutes per delivery, as well as countless hours reconciling payments via cash or check in the office. This allows our sales and delivery teams more time to sell and merchandise Cherokee's products with our customers.  This also allows our office staff to focus more time on keeping our receivables as current as possible.  And best of all, it's at an extremely cost effective price for us and our retailers."

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"Eric and his team at Cherokee Distributing have been longtime advocates for iControl's alcohol payments solution. They recognized very early on the value that our offering could bring in many areas of their supply chain - whether it be the savings by eliminating cash and check payments, the improved invoice and payment reconciliation process, or the substantial cost savings that our program provides. This recognition showcases their successful transition to iControl's alcohol payments solution, and what is possible when a distributor maximizes every benefit and opportunity to re-invest in their business."

Enterprise Alcohol Retailer of the Year:  Casey's General Store

Casey's General Store was founded in 1958 by Donald Lamberti. The company has since grown to over 1,931 stores across 14 states in the mid west. Casey's is headquartered in Ankeny, IA and employs over 14,500 people. Current CEO Robert J. Myers ensures the company continues its legacy of providing clean stores, a variety of high quality prepared food items, and friendly employees who pride themselves in delivering exceptional customer service.

Accepting the award is Lindsay Rauterkus - the Assistant Treasurer for Casey's General Stores:

"Casey’s General Stores is appreciative of being selected iControl's Enterprise Customer of the Year.   We look forward to continued growth of our partnership that provides significant benefits to both Casey’s and their trading partners." 

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"I'm really proud of the partnership we have built with Casey's General Store. They are a great retailer with almost 2,000 stores and still growing. When they selected iControl's alcohol payments solution, we saw the opportunity to make a positive impact on the efficiency and profitability of the alcohol category for both them and their distributors...and do so on a large scale. And I am proud of the fact that iControl delivered."

Emerging Alcohol Retailer of the Year:  MAPCO Express

MAPCO Express operates 348 convenience stores primarily in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, with some stores in Arkansas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi. These locations operate under banners such as MAPCO Express, MAPCO Mart, East Coast, Fast Food and Fuel, Favorite Markets, Delta Express, and Discount Food Mart. New CEO Andy Scoggins will focus on building a people-centric community with COPEC - one of the largest companies in Chile that acquired MAPCO in August of this year.

Accepting the award is Brian Wright - the AP Manager of Shared Services for MAPCO Express:

"MAPCO Express is honored to be selected as iControl's Emerging Customer of the Year. We look forward to the continued success of our collaboration that provides our vendors and us with significant savings in time and money." 

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"MAPCO Express is a longtime iControl client and is a relationship we value greatly. We were thrilled to learn that they would be expanding their utilization of our services by adopting our alcohol payments solution. MAPCO realized savings immediately after implementation, and Brian's team have been a pleasure to work side-by-side with. I am really proud of what we have accomplished together, and what the future holds."

Scan-Based Trading Supplier of the Year:  Bimbo Bakeries

Bimbo Bakeries USA is the largest bakery company in the US and is the only manufacturer to serve all 50 states. Bimbo owns 6 of the top 12 fresh bread brands in the US - including Entenmann's, Sara Lee, and Thomas. The company has a total of 12 brands that generate +$100 million in sales annually. Bimbo is headquartered in Horsham, PA and is a subsidiary of Mexican bakery company Grupo Bimbo. The parent company is the largest bakery company in the world and was ranked #986 on the Forbes Global 2000. 

Accepting the award is Dean Aiello - the Director Finance for Bimbo Bakeries USA:

"Thank you for the award. iControl has been a good business partner supporting our efforts to be a best in class supplier. The personal support and training my team has received has made a difference in our capabilities, helped resolve some challenges and benefited our trading relationships." 

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"Bimbo has been a terrific partner over the many years we have supported their scan-based trading programs. Dean and his team have played a key role in the development of new capabilities of our Harmony™ platform - many of which now benefit our collective SBT client community. I look forward to continued partnership for many years to come."

Scan-Based Trading Retailer of the Year:  Save Mart

Save Mart owns and operates 205 stores in California and Nevada. These locations operate under banners such as Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, FoodMaxx, MaxxValue Foods, and Lucky. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Modesto, CA. Save Mart generates $4.5 billion in annual sales and has over 16,000 employees.

Accepting the award is Eric Lovenburg - the Director of Strategic Sourcing for The Save Mart Companies:

"We’re honored to be recognized as Retailer of the Year. iControl’s approach to Scan-Based Trading has completely changed the way The Save Mart Companies does business with our newspaper vendors. Their expert knowledge and time-saving software have improved our business and increased sales. We’re experiencing operational efficiency, more cooperative relationships with vendors, and better service to our shoppers. The bottom line is they’ve made life a lot easier for us. Our confidence in iControl’s product and support has led us to add more categories in the coming year to drive even more operational efficiency, expand distribution and boost sales. Together we look forward to 2017." 

TJ Zlotnitsky, Chairman & co-CEO of iControl, added:

"We began our partnership with Save Mart by providing our scan-based trading services for their newspapers and periodicals category. Based on our successful track record in the years since, we have continued to bring new suppliers and categories onto SBT and expand our ongoing support for their program. I am proud of the relationship that we have built with Save Mart, and I know iControl will continue to deliver the results they need to drive operational efficiency throughout their supply chain."

SEE THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: iControl 2016 "Client of the Year" Awards

About iControl:

iControl provides retailers, consumer product goods companies, brokers, mainline distributors, and DSD wholesalers with a collaborative SaaS solution where they can share critical trading information such as POS activity in a normalized, harmonized, secure web portal. Our platform enables fact-based, timely, data-driven decisions that boost sales, reduce waste, promote efficiency, reward transparency, and align performance metrics. There are over 30,000 retail outlets taking part in iControl’s programs in all 50 states, over 120 retail banners, and over 3,500 suppliers participating. For more information about iControl, visit www.icontroldata.net.