SpartanNash’s Barry Philips to Receive Confectionery Leadership Award

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) will present the 2018 Confectionery Leadership award to Barry Phillips, of SpartanNash, and Krisanne Flamini, of Wawa Inc. The award recognizes the recipients’ enduring contributions to the industry through category management best practices, effective business collaboration, innovative in-store merchandising and strong category performance.

“The Confectionery Leadership Award honors industry retailers who propel the category forward by going above and beyond expectations,” noted Larry Wilson, VP of industry affairs at Washington, D.C.-based NCA. “There were many deserving and worthy candidates for this year’s award. Krisanne’s and Barry’s knowledge, expertise and commitment to the confectionery industry stood out to the selection committee.”

“What I love about this category is that it is always changing,” said Phillips, a confectionery category veteran of more than 15 years’ standing who is currently a category manager for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer/distributor SpartanNash. “This category, the vendors and the brokers mean so much to me. They have a job to do, but ultimately we all want to do what’s right for our customers. I appreciate them taking the time to nominate me for this award.”

"We are very appreciative as an organization to have Barry on our team, as he has positively impacted our results in the confectionery category,” added SpartanNash Director of Category Management Mike Convey. “I am very happy to see Barry recognized for his efforts; it could not happen to a nicer human being.”

Having joined Media, Pa.-based Wawa in 2000, Flamini is the category manager overseeing total snacks, confections and packaged cake for all of the convenience store chain’s 750-plus stores.

NCA and Candy & Snack TODAY magazine created the awards program in 2011 to honor the confectionery industry’s best and most innovative leaders and category champions. The program enables NCA manufacturers and brokers to recognize outstanding retailers and wholesalers in the confectionery community for their effective customer marketing, shopper-driven shelving practices and promotion of new items.

Phillips and Flamini will receive their awards in Miami at NCA’s annual State of the Industry Conference, which will take place March 4-6.