Phillips Given Distributor of the Year Award

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On Monday July 21, Phillips was awarded the Distributor of the Year by Pet Age Magazine at a dinner in Las Vegas.

The event was held in conjunction with SuperZoo. Philips was honored for its commitment to its retail and manufacturing partners and its visionary leadership in the pet industry.

Craig Rexford, publisher of Pet Age,  hosted the event. He outlined the history of Phillips, which started as a feed store in 1938 in Germanstown, Penn. The family owned company is now in its third generation; CEO Blaine Phillips is the grandson of the company’s founder.

Representatives of more than 15 pet food and supply manufacturers spoke in honor of Philips at the event. Paul Cimino, director of independent sales, east coast, of  Natural Balance Pet Foods, said that Phillips brings to mind “innovation, value partnershhip, family, and fun,” adding that “Phillips makes you feel like the only brand.”

“Blaine had a lot of foresight to see trends early,” said Chuck Kohrer, regional sales manager at Healthy Pet. He said Phillips “was the first to jump onto natural products and organics.”

There was a short video highlighting Phillips history and current position in the pet industry. Then, CEO Blaine Phillips was given the award.

PHOTOS; Distributor of the Year Awards

“I’m honored and very humbled,” he said. When discussing reasons for his and the company’s success, he said, “One of the things I’ve tried to do is surround our business with the best people possible. I’m just a small piece of this organization.” In closing, he said of the company’s relationships with retailers and vendors, “Phillips is a family and we’re in this together.”