LAS VEGAS — Mike Needler Sr., chief executive officer of Fresh Encounter, Findlay, Ohio, has received the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the National Grocers Association, which is holding its annual convention here this week.
"Mike is a true example of what it means to be a leader,” said Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO of NGA. “His tireless contributions to our industry and service to his community exemplify what this award stands for."
Read more: NGA Announces New Board Members
The award, presented by Mondelez International, has been given each year since 2009 in the name of Zaucha — who was NGA's first president and CEO until his retirement in three years ago — to recognize an independent grocer who exemplifies persistence, vision and creative entrepreneurship.
According to Don Quigley, president of U.S. sales for Mondelez, "[Mike] is an invaluable asset to the industry, and his innovations and leadership will be remembered for years to come."
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