QCS Purchasing Cooperative Concludes 2025 Annual Conference in Boston

Event highlights collaboration, innovation, and leadership across the cooperative community

LISLE, IL, UNITED STATES, October 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 2025 QCS Annual Conference concluded this week at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza Hotel, uniting members, supply partners, and industry leaders from across the country to celebrate collaboration and shared growth under the theme “Rising Tides.”

The three-day event featured engaging educational sessions, networking opportunities, and awards recognizing excellence within the cooperative community. “When members and supply partners share ideas, innovate, and support one another, we create value that lifts the entire cooperative community,” said Ken Klug, President and CEO of QCS Purchasing Cooperative. “That’s what ‘Rising Tides’ is all about — when one member succeeds, we all do.”

The conference began with an Opening General Session highlighting QCS’s continued growth and success, followed by educational sessions on topics including Market Clarity, Building Stronger Teams, Negotiation Skills, Quality and Food Safety, Compliance, Market Intelligence and Smarter Procurement, and Consumer Trends and Innovation. The popular QCS Innovation Showcase and Supply Partner Showcase of Solutions gave attendees a chance to discover new ideas and build stronger partnerships.

This year’s Value Creator Awards honored cooperative members who exemplify leadership and collaboration:
• Bryan Arneson, Tillamook County Creamery Association
• Brian Weinzierl, Galliker’s Dairy
• Tim Griglack, United Dairy (Lifetime Value Creator)
• Mike Bevers, QCS Purchasing Cooperative (Lifetime Value Creator)
• Tom Atkins, formerly of ORBIS Corporation (Lifetime Value Creator)

At the Celebration Gala, the cooperative recognized Bill Meier for his impactful service as Board Chairman from 2022–2025. Additional awards included:
• Innovation Award: Cargill
• Irving B. Weber Award for Total Quality Excellence: Umpqua Dairy Products Company, Roseburg, Oregon
• Supply Partner Program Promotion Award: Innovation Energy Group (with WEX Shell Fleet Solutions)
• Collaboration Award: Prairie Farms Dairy and Hiland Dairy Foods Company with Rocket Products
• Leadership Award: Innovation Energy Group (Supply Partner of the Year), California Dairies and Multi-Flow Industries (Members of the Year)

QCS demonstrated its continued support for the Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest, providing a $2,500 contribution to the top judging team from California Polytechnic State University to support the next generation of dairy leaders.

QCS also announced a donation to the Freedom Trail Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the Freedom Trail through visitor services and programs. This contribution reinforces QCS’ commitment to supporting the historical and cultural communities that host its events.

“Our cooperative is about more than purchasing power,” Klug said. “It’s about people — members, partners, and communities — working together to make an impact far beyond the balance sheet.”

The 2026 QCS Annual Conference will be held in Plano, Texas, continuing the cooperative’s mission to foster connection, innovation, and shared success.

For more information, visit QCSPurchasing.com.

About QCS Purchasing Cooperative
QCS Purchasing Cooperative is a buying group owned and managed by its members, catering to food and beverage production companies. As the most significant purchasing cooperative of its kind, it combines everyday supply purchases to achieve more competitive pricing. Our strategic sourcing specialists offer deep category expertise, tackling complex sourcing challenges and providing valuable market intelligence. With over 200 national supplier partners, QCS offers solutions in packaging, ingredients, fleet and logistics, plant operations and supplies, and many value-added services. For more about QCS Purchasing Cooperative, please visit our website.

Kathy Broniecki
QCS Purchasing Cooperative
KathyB@envoyinc.com

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