North America’s Best Receive 2008 Gold Medal IPM Partner Awards

Seven North American companies were named 2008 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award winners by Orkin, Inc., The IPM Institute of North America, and NSF Cook & Thurber for their outstanding commitment to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) partnerships.

IPM, an environmentally friendly pest management approach, emphasizes multiple methods of non-chemical pest control and prevention. These seven winners employ Orkin’s Gold Medal Protection, a comprehensive IPM service that focuses on vigilant sanitation, prompt adherence to structural pest management recommendations, diligent record-keeping and staff participation in IPM training sessions.

“Implementing an IPM program requires unwavering dedication from all parties involved,” said Orkin Director of Quality Systems Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D. “This year’s award winners exemplify what it takes to achieve IPM success, which leads to even greater achievements – better audit scores.”

The 2008 Gold Medal IPM Partner Award winners selected from an elite group of 77 nominees throughout the United States and Canada include:

UNITED STATES:

Ample Industries, Inc. (Franklin, Ohio) – Manufacturer of nested paperboard cartons for the foodservice industry.

Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc. (Conklin, N.Y.) – The nation’s second largest independent systems foodservice distributor.

Patterson Companies, Inc. (Blythewood, S.C.) – Full-service, regional facility distributing dental and veterinary products within the Patterson Logistics Services distribution network.

CANADA:

Ball Corporation (Richmond, British Columbia) – Leading supplier of rigid metal packaging products and services, primarily to the food industry.

Danone, Inc. (Boucherville, Quebec) – Global leader in cultured dairy products, including yogurt, fresh cheese and drinkable yogurt.

H. J. Heinz Company (Leamington, Ontario) – A leading processor of high-quality ketchup and condiments, infant foods, pasta sauces, canned beans and pasta, specialty sauces, and salad dressings through all retail and foodservice channels.

Red Zoo Marketing (Ruthven, Ontario) – Grower / distributor of premium quality greenhouse-grown vegetables across North America.

Now in its fifth year in the United States and fourth year in Canada, the Gold Medal IPM Partner Awards began as an effort by Orkin and The IPM Institute of North America to encourage the use of IPM and other environmentally friendly pest management practices.

“We’re excited to see so many facilities using IPM as part of their sustainability initiatives,” said Dr. Thomas Green, President of The IPM Institute of North America. “By using non-chemical methods of prevention first, this year’s winners are creating the cleanest, healthiest environments at their facilities.”

Last year, NSF Cook & Thurber joined the awards as a co-presenter, bringing to the program its food safety auditing expertise.

"The 2008 winners understand the importance of protecting public health,” said Jim Bail, Director of Technical Services, NSF International. “They are proof that successfully implementing an IPM program not only achieves their pest management goals, but also helps protect the welfare of their employees, the environment and consumers.”

About the Awards Jury

• Jim Bail, Director of Technical Services, NSF International

• Austin Frishman, Ph.D., B.C.E., Founder and President of AMF Pest Management Services, Inc.

• Thomas A. Green, Ph.D., President of The IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

• Frank Meek, B.C.E., Technical Director, Orkin, Inc.

• Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D., B.C.E., Director of Quality Systems, Orkin, Inc.

About The IPM Institute of North America

The IPM Institute of North America, Inc. is an independent non-profit organization formed in 1998 to foster recognition and rewards in the marketplace for goods and service providers who practice IPM. The Institute’s mission is to accelerate adoption of IPM in agriculture and communities through consumer education and development of IPM standards for self-evaluation and IPM certification. The Institute is funded by grants from government, private foundations and industry, memberships and fees for services and programs. Learn more at www.ipminstitute.org.

About NSF Cook & Thurber

NSF Cook & Thurber is a division of NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, that helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd., organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.