The Merchandising Awards of Excellence, sponsored by Borgen Systems and Super Floral magazine, were presented June 8 at the 2015 International Floriculture Expo in Chicago. Since 1998, supermarket floral departments from around the nation have entered yearly photos of their displays, which are judged by a panel from Super Floral. There are four honor award recipients in the categories of Best Color Harmony, Best Signage, Best Cross Merchandising and Best Theme Development. There is also one Grand Award winner, which best combines all of these qualities and receives the coveted Orrefors crystal Borgen Cup, presented by Arden Borgen, founder and chief executive officer at Borgen Systems in Des Moines, IA.

Cheryl Overland is presented the 2015 Borgen Cup by Arden Borgen and Cynthia McGowen.This year’s Grand Award winner was Cheryl Overland, floral manager at Hy-Vee 1019 in Albert Lea, MN. Overland told The Produce News, “This year was our fourth year entering our displays into the contest. In 2012 we won for cross-merchandising, in 2014 we won for best signage and in 2015 we are so thrilled to have won the Grand Award and we’re honored to represent our company, Hy-Vee Inc. at the IFE in Chicago. You just never know what the panel will choose and it is always a thrill when your merchandised display catches their eye.”

Overland and her team’s theme was “Celebrate the County Fair with Grand Champion Roses.” “Our company has an annual companywide rose sale and each year we challenge ourselves to come up with a theme to promote this corporate rose sale,” said Overland. “With the county fair only weeks after the annual rose sale, we decided to use the fair as our theme.”

The winners of the other Merchandising Awards of Excellence were:

• Best Color Harmony. Mary Jane O’Connor, Market Street Floral Shoppe, Coppel, TX.

• Best Signage. Beth Hennessy and Hy-Vee Oakland Road Flower Shop, Cedar Rapids, IA.

• Best Cross Merchandising. Leilani Quinata and Team 139, Stater Bros. Markets, Murrieta, CA.

• Best Theme Development. Janet Markowicz and Caitlin Roche, Roche Bros., Millis, MA.

Hy-Vee has won the Grand Award four times since 1998. It has also won 16 Honor Awards, giving the company a grand total of 20 Borgen awards. “We are so fortunate to be employed by a company that allows our creativity to capture the hearts and sales of our customers — it is so much fun to have an idea and be able to run with it,” Overland said. “And we cannot do these displays without teamwork. The Hy-Vee corporate response and support when you win is amazing; your entire Hy-Vee family rallies around you. I’m positive that all of the past winners feel the same as we do — it’s an honor to get one more for the company.”