The Shipper of Choice award, presented by FreightWaves in partnership with TriumphPay, recognizes the manufacturers, distributors and retailers that do the best job of keeping the American economy moving by fighting driver detention, providing accessible facilities and understanding what it takes to remove inefficiencies from the supply chain.
Among the top 25 Shippers of Choice for 2023 is … Ken’s Foods.
About Ken’s Foods
Ken’s Foods, headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is a privately held food manufacturing company known for its production of salad dressings, sauces and marinades.
The family-owned company was founded in 1958 in the basement of the Ken’s Steak House restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts, according to its website. Today, it is the third-largest manufacturer of salad dressing behind Kraft Heinz and Wish-Bone, producing more than 400 varieties of dressings and sauces. Its brands include Ken’s, Sweet Baby Ray’s and Sticky Fingers.
| Headquarters | Marlborough, Massachusetts |
| Shipper of Choice history | First appearance |
The company’s commercial food manufacturing divisions produce more than 1,000 products both for retail sale and food service.
Over the decades, Ken’s has expanded nationwide and now operates four manufacturing facilities with more than 1,200 employees in Marlborough, Las Vegas, McDonough, Georgia, and Lebanon, Indiana. The Lebanon location produces between 300 million and 400 million pounds of dressings, sauces and marinades annually, according to the company.
“[The facility] has been designed to improve distribution logistics and support the growth of Ken’s Foods product sales for both retail and food service,” the company said.
Why Ken’s Foods made the cut
Ken’s is making its debut in the annual Shipper of Choice awards. Companies on the list received nominations between February and May detailing how they went above and beyond in the past year to ensure efficient and effective operations. The FreightWaves Research team then evaluated the hundreds of nominations and contextualized them with SONAR data sets like industry-specific detention times to select this year’s 25.
The awards have become a significant benchmark in the freight industry, highlighting the companies that are leading the way in fostering strong relationships with their carrier partners and creating a positive impact in the industry. The 2023 list reflects the dynamic nature of the industry, with a mix of long-standing leaders and new entrants making their mark.
In nominating Ken’s, Paul Truman of carrier Truline Corp., said: “They understand the challenges of the trucking industry and work closely with their carriers to find efficient solutions. They understand the word ‘partnership’ and working together brings more value than trying to take advantage of either party.”
About Shipper of Choice partner TriumphPay
TriumphPay is the transportation industry’s premier payment network trusted by leading shippers, brokers, factors and carriers. Its innovative and highly automated fintech payment solution brings cost savings and efficiencies to antiquated transportation payment processes for network participants. Integrated financing options leverage the strength of the parent bank and can provide liquidity and cash flow visibility.
TriumphPay is a division of Triumph Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: TFIN).
BOB DRAKE
KEN’S DRESSING BEGAN IN THE 60’S, BLENDED IN THE BASEMENT OF HIS FINE RESTURANT IN FRAMINGHAM, MASS, I WAS A YOUNG TERMINAL MANAGER FOR BRANCH MOTOR EXPRESS IN FRAMINGHAM AND WE PICKED UP AT THE BASEMENT WINDOW, ON FRIDAY NIGHTS, THE SALESMEN AND I WOULD STOP AT KEN’S FOR DINNER AND DRINIKS, THEN GO NEXT DOOR TO VAUGHN MONROE;S MEAD0WS TO HEAR HIM SING AND END UP AT THE FLOOR SHOW AT CAESAR’S MONTICELLO ACR0SS THE HGHWAY.. RETIRED AT AGE 82 AFTER 20 YEARS AT A TRANSLOAD /TRUCKING OPERATION IN MAINE WHERE WE TRANSFERRED RESIN RAIL TO TRUCK FOR DELIVERY TO KEN;’S IN MARLBORO TO PRODUCE BOTTLES. (and still enjoy his dressings)