Allied Buying Corp. Distributes Honors

Awards including Supplier of the Year and several category recognitions were given at the group’s recent conference in Chicago.

November 12, 2026

(Left to right) Elizabeth Grant, of Continental; Tom Venetis, ABC executive director; Grant Price, Continental; and Bargreen Ellingson's Alyse Wilson (also ABC Board President) gather for a photo.

Allied Buying Corp. honored members and suppliers, plus presented a special retirement award to longtime board member and former ABC President Karen McCain, of TriMark USA, at its fall conference. ABC Board President Alyse Wilson, of Bargreen Ellingson, and Executive Director Tom Venetis presented the awards.

Karen McCain (left) and Tom Venetis

Category Awards were as follows:

Smallwares: Vollrath (winner); Browne Foodservice (runner-up)
Tabletop: 1880 Hospitality (winner); Libbey (runner-up)
Light equipment/furnishings: T&S Brass (winner); Robot Coupe (runner-up)
Heavy equipment: InterMetro (winner); John Boos (runner-up)
Table service/buffet: Cal-Mil (winner); Tablecraft (runner-up)

Additionally, Bryan Schlaupitz, of Libbey, was named 2026 Supplier Sales Executive of the Year, and Jeff Tait, of Tablecraft, was named runner-up. Tablecraft also earned the Sales Team award and was named runner-up in the Table Service/Buffet category, making it the conference’s most-recognized supplier with three honors.

Continental Refrigerator received the Tom Wilhelm Distinguished Supplier of the Year award—ABC’s highest honor.

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