QUALITY CHEKD NAMES UMPQUA DAIRY PRODUCTS COMPANY FINALIST FOR TOTAL QUALITY PERFORMANCE AWARD

Roseburg, Oregon dairy contending for Quality Chekd’s prestigious Irving B. Weber Award

Naperville, Ill.—April 25, 2006—Quality Chekd Dairies, Inc. selected Umpqua Dairy Products Company as a finalist for the notable Irving B. Weber Award, the highest Quality Chekd recognition for overall quality.  Quality Chekd, a member-owned organization of independent dairy processors will recognize the finalists at its QCS Purchasing & Leadership Conference to be held April 23-25, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis.

The Irving B. Weber Award, named in honor of the organization’s first president of the board, recognizes a dairy company for excelling in overall company achievement.  The recipient of this award must earn the highest annual scores for leadership, customer satisfaction, production quality, marketing communications, staff development and business ethics.  The Weber Award is modeled after the U.S. Commerce Department’s esteemed Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

“Only our peak performers make it to this level,” said Peter Horvath, managing director of Quality Chekd.  “The dairies go through a rigorous evaluation process and product lab testing throughout the entire year.  To make it this far is commendable.”

To be eligible for the invitation-only Weber Award, each dairy first has to surpass requirements in each of the following categories: leadership and commitment to total quality improvement; human resource development and management; facility and improvement projects; marketing programs; customer satisfaction programs; efficient inventory and loss control programs; and outstanding plant sanitation.

Umpqua Dairy Products Company will receive a trophy in recognition of its accomplishment as finalist for the Irving B. Weber Award.  Umpqua Dairy has previously won this award in 1998 and 2004.  

###

About Quality Chekd

Quality Chekd is a member-owned organization of 40 independent dairy processors located throughout the United States, Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia.  Headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, Quality Chekd provides member dairies with the support services they need to assure that consumers receive the highest quality dairy products possible.  Quality Chekd member services include quality and food safety testing, training and education, marketing and procurement.  For more information, please visit http://www.qchekd.com.