CINCINNATI, Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that the International Dairy Foods Association named nine Kroger dairy facilities winners of the IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards and Achievement Certificates.
"Kroger is committed to continually improving the overall safety of our associates and we are so proud of these nine facilities for their hard work to deliver a safe work environment for all employees," said Erin Sharp, Kroger's group vice president of manufacturing. "We appreciate the IDFA's recognition, which highlights our objective to be the safest company in America."
Safety is one of Kroger's core values. The company's overall accident rate has been reduced by 76.3% since 1995. In 2012, 782 retail locations, nine manufacturing plants, and one distribution center went the entire year without a recordable accident. Also in 2012, Kroger's manufacturing division received an OSHA Recordable Accident rating of 1.4 FTE, the lowest in company history.
Kroger's recognized dairies include: Crossroad Farms Dairy, Indianapolis, IN; Heritage Farms Dairy, Murfreesboro, TN; Jackson Ice Cream, Denver, CO; Layton Dairy, Layton, UT; Pace Dairy Foods of Indiana, Crawfordsville, IN; Tamarack Farms Dairy, Newark, OH; Tolleson Dairy, Tolleson, AZ; Westover Dairy, Lynchburg, VA; and Vandervoort's Dairy, Fort Worth, TX.
This is the 10th year that the IDFA has sponsored these awards, which highlight outstanding work-safety records in U.S. dairy companies.
Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs 343,000 associates who serve customers in 2,418 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 783 convenience stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,195 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 80 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.
SOURCE The Kroger Co.