Lion has celebrated its annual Supplier of the Year Awards in a hybrid event with special functions in Sydney and Auckland, connected by livestream.

Lion CEO Stuart Irvine welcomed Lion’s suppliers from Australia and New Zealand, as well as those who have supported the brewer’s rapid growth in the United States, and paid tribute to their partnership throughout the turbulence of the last two years.

“I would like to thank all of our valued suppliers who have worked with us through, what for many of us, will be the most challenging years of our careers,” Irvine said.

“Fire, flood, pandemic and war – we have had it all, and our suppliers know better than most the huge effect this has had on supply chains. Whether it’s price, availability, or transport, but they have been unwavering in their commitment to working towards our objectives with us.

“These awards are all about celebrating the invaluable role they have played in keeping the beer flowing for us across our markets. Thank you to each and every one of you – and congratulations to all the finalists and winners.”

Lion Chief Supply Chain Officer Mauricio Ferreira, who joined the company at the beginning of 2022, said he was delighted to see so many of Lion’s valued suppliers in person for the event in Sydney, and so many across the Tasman in Auckland.

“As we evolve as a business, we are focused on searching for transformational innovation, all while continuing to work towards our sustainability commitments, and being a force for good,” Ferreira said.

“Our progress against all of these initiatives simply would not be possible without the partnership and collaboration we see from our suppliers. These awards are about celebrating all they do to make our business hum, even in times of adversity.”

The category suppliers awards – across packaging, ingredients, logistics, engineering services and site services – recognise those suppliers who have performed the best in terms of delivery performance, quality, customer service, commercials and feedback.

The ‘Think Beyond, Adapt and Innovate’ Award recognised the supplier who demonstrated creative thinking and problem solving, which has enabled efficiency gains, cost savings or other innovative solutions to Lion over the course of the year.

And finally, the Supplier of the Year Award recognised the supplier that had consistently exceeded Lion’s expectations and provided the best levels of service to Lion in terms of performance, quality and customer service in 2021.

And the Supplier of the Year Awards winners were …

Award: Packaging (AU)
Winner: WestRock

Award: Packaging (NZ)
Winner: Visy Glass

Award: Ingredients (AU)
Winner: Barrett Burston Malting

Award: Ingredients (NZ)
Winner: Gladfield Malt
Finalists: New Zealand Hops, Gladfield Malt, Cryer Malt

Award: Logistics
Winner: Henning Harders (Australia) Pty Ltd

Award: Engineering Services
Winner: M.E. Engineering

Award: Site Services
Winner: Dimeo

Award: Think Beyond, Adapt and Innovate
Winner: M.E. Engineering

Award: Supplier of the Year
Winner: Visy Glass

Lion’s Procurement, Strategy and Best Practice Leader Rebecca Loch said as part of Lion’s ‘Force For Good’ commitment to creating an ethical and diverse supply chain, it was proud to showcase the following suppliers in bringing this year’s hybrid awards ceremony to life:

• Forum Group Events are a certified women-owned business. Trusted by global organisations, they are an award-winning agency, with over 20 years’ experience in producing innovative, world-class events.
• Dreamtime Art Creative Consultancy is a certified Indigenous business providing artistic and innovative solutions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural connections based on cultural relevance and strong collaborative partnerships with a focus on the protection of artists’ copyrights, intellectual properties and Indigenous cultural intellectual property (ICIP).
• Joseph Mayers Photography is a Sydney-based photographer and photojournalist, and a certified Indigenous business.

Pictured main: Maurício Ferreira, Irene Bell, Rebecca Loch, Stuart Irvine

XXXX flows as Lion offers flood support