ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 15, 2012 – The International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA) named Paul Kramer, Director of Logistics, Johnsonville Sausage, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, as the recipient of the 2012 IRTA Executive of the Year award.

The award was announced as part of the Food Logistics Forum in early June 2012, an event co-sponsored by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA).

IRTA is a Core Partner of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), which represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics.

The annual award recognizes an individual in the refrigerated transportation industry who has made a significant contribution to the industry by fostering innovation, resolving industry issues, or improving the industry's image and efficiency.

Kramer was recognized for integrating a company-dedicated fleet at Johnsonville Sausage with the consolidation power that his third-party logistics partners offer. He takes advantage of consolidation when applicable, and runs truckloads and backhauls on his own trucks, reducing empty miles and generating revenue in the process.

Kramer has been with Johnsonville Sausage for eight years. Before that he spent 16 years with the H.J. Heinz Company, joining the “World’s Largest Ketchup Plant” in Fremont, Ohio in 1985. He then moved to the company headquarters in Pittsburgh in 1989 and spent 12 years there in various logistics positions, the last two being Director of Warehousing for Heinz U.S.A. and the Director of Transportation for Heinz North America. He then spent two years as Vice President of Warehousing for the regional logistics service provider Spartan Logistics in Columbus, Ohio.

Kramer has served on the Board of Directors for the Food Shippers of America for the last several years, currently in the Vice President role. He is also a certified Six Sigma Green Belt by the American Society for Quality.

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Established in 1994, the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA) is an international, nonprofit organization serving the refrigerated transportation industry. IRTA is committed to promoting and strengthening the refrigerated and transportation logistics industry. IRTA (www.irta.org) is a Core Partner of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, which represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics.

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