The Best National Award winners are: Thonket Company Limited from Sunyani, who emerged first; Ofram Ltd from Tamale, second, and Awen Yami Enterprise from Accra, Third.

The Highest Turnover Award went to Danmaud Ltd, Accra; First winner, Awen Yami Enterprise, second, and Thonket Company Ltd, third.

Mrs Freda Y. Duplan, Managing Director (MD) of Nestle Ghana said the ceremony was an opportunity for stock taking “of our business in 2016, review plans for 2017 and reward performance of 2016”.

“Our business performance recorded a positive double digit volume growth…This was as a result of the collective effort of our distributors, our employees and other key stakeholders in ensuring we focus on eliminating waste and on developing a profitable product portfolio,” she said.

Mrs Duplan noted that today’s competitive environment required accelerated speed to market and increased market share by focusing not only on product quality but also ensuring profitable business growth.

She said Nestle Ghana was committed to ensure the best practices in pricing, marketing, sales and building capacity in best distributor management practices to achieve the objective.

The MD said Nestle was marking the launch of a significant milestone in the life of the company, adding:” 60 years of brand building and nourishing generations. Building a strong brand starts with building sustainable business and creating shared value for both business and society.”

“Over the 60 years, we are proud to have contributed to nutrition education for the public health and health care communities.

“We have partnered…public and private organisations to promote agriculture through our Nestle Cereal Plan and Nestle Cocoa Plan. Building schools, providing water in communities, recycling water we use in our environment and ensuring consumer protection through product labelling and consumer education fora enable us to create value for both society and the business,” Mrs Duplan said.

She said Nestle was committed to be a leading nutrition, health and wellness company, “by rearticulating our purpose: ‘Enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future’. Our business is based on the values of respect for self, others, diversity and the future.”

“This purpose is defining how we operate as our business in 2017 and in the future,” she said.

Mrs Duplan observed that Nestle was committed to Create Shared Value along its entire value chain, from the farmers who provided the raw materials, to production site where the company focused on safety, quality, efficiency and product innovation, to distributors, who played a role in ensuring route to market, to providing individuals and families with nutritious food choices.

Mrs Maud Botwe of Danmaud Ltd and Mr Anthony Adu-Nketiah of Thonket Company Ltd, who were offered cash prizes, expressed satisfaction for winning awards at the event.

Mrs Botwe said it was the fourth time she was receiving the Highest Turnover Award and attributed the feat to hard work and prayers.

Mr Adu-Nketiah said his company had received the Best National Award for two consecutive times and said it was the result of quality of work, sound financial management, discipline and a dedicated staff.