Press Release:
The Howard Company, Inc. Named
“2007 U.S. Taco Bell Equipment Supplier of the Year” by Yum! Brands, Inc.
BROOKFIELD, Wis. (May 9, 2008) – The Howard Company, Inc., a leading manufacturer and designer of menu systems and displays for the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, has been named the “2007 U.S. Taco Bell Equipment Supplier of the Year” by Yum! Brands, Inc. The Howard Company received the award as part of Yum! Brands Inc. and the Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-op (UFPC) annual STAR Awards gala to honor their top suppliers.
Already a preferred supplier of outdoor drive-thru menu systems for Taco Bell and other YUM! Brands, The Howard Company was selected based in part on the STAR “Supplier Tracking Assessment and Recognition” audit system which measures six key business performance categories: cost, technology, manufacturing reliability, service maintenance, business relations and ongoing quality of their suppliers. As part of the program, a select group of premier suppliers are honored among hundreds who undergo a rigorous STAR operations audit.
"This is the first time any menu board supplier, or sign supplier of any kind, has been awarded the STAR Award for any of the YUM! Brands,” announced Dave Newman, Purchasing Manager, UFPC. Rick Winfree, Senior Director, Engineering for Taco Bell added, "The Howard Company took an incredible leadership role in the design and engineering of our new menu board initiative. They stepped up to the plate with innovative solutions and creative concepts."
“To be singled out as a STAR award recipient is truly an honor and further strengthens our credentials as a trusted equipment supplier to Taco Bell as well as other Yum! Brands,” said Mike Kopacz, President and CEO of The Howard Company. “The assessment process is very thorough and our employee-owners are proud that our business operations, technology and performance stood up to YUM! Brands’ highest standards of achievement.”
About YUM! Brands:
Yum! Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 35,000 stores in over 110 countries and territories. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s – are the global leaders in the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories respectively. A&W Restaurants is the longest operating quick-service franchise chain in America..
About The Howard Company:
The Howard Company, headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, is a full service point-of-purchase display manufacturer, specializing in menu boards and merchandising solutions for the quick service restaurant market. The Howard Company was founded in 1950 and is a 100% employee-owned company. The Howard Company brands include Howard Displays, Mainstreet Menu Systems, VisionQuest Digital Menu Systems, Mainstreet SchoolZone, and Great American Stock Food Photography.
YUM! Brands Inc. STAR Awards Gala, May 8, 2008