Supplier Spotlights: AB InBev, InStore.ai & PDI Technologies

AB InBev 

AB InBev extended its nearly 40-year partnership with FIFA to include the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, taking place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. AB InBev is also a sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The expanded partnership reinforces the brewer's megabrand and mega platform strategy by connecting beer with global events that consumers love. Budweiser and Michelob ULTRA will lead the partnership complemented with local brands in select markets, according to the company.

"Our brands are at the heart of meaningful cultural moments and iconic sporting events," said AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris. "This partnership with the FIFA Club World Cup continues our legacy of bringing beer and sports together for fans around the world, creating more moments of celebration and cheers. We look forward to activating this first-of-its-kind tournament next summer in partnership with FIFA."

Cantaloupe Inc. 

Cantaloupe Inc. was recognized as a "2024 Champion of Board Diversity" by The Forum of Executive Women, a Greater Philadelphia women's organization. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Cantaloupe has received the honor for having a board of directors with at least 30% women. The company now falls into The Forum's Silver Tier of Champions for having 40% or more women on its board. 

"We are thrilled to be recognized by The Forum of Executive Women for the fourth year in a row," said Ravi Venkatesan, CEO of Cantaloupe Inc. "We understand the value that diverse perspectives bring to leadership and the boardroom, and we are committed to fostering an environment that prioritizes diversity across all levels of our organization. The contributions of our board play a key role with decision-making and are critical to our continued success."

Cantaloupe, a provider of end-to-end technology solutions for self-service commerce, was also recognized by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) with two awards: the TAG Fintech ADVANCE award and the Innovation Driven Company award. These accolades celebrate Cantaloupe's presence in the Atlanta financial technology community and are a recognition of the impact that Cantaloupe is making in the sector.

The TAG Fintech ADVANCE Award acknowledges U.S.-based fintech companies making significant strides in advancing financial services through innovation. 

The 2024 TAG Technology award for an Innovation Driven Company in the Enterprise category (for companies with more than $50 million in revenue), honors companies across Georgia that have leveraged technological innovation to drive excellence and standout success across diverse industries.

"Receiving the TAG Technology Award is a meaningful recognition of our work in developing groundbreaking technologies that enhance the consumer experience," said Gaurav Singal, chief technology officer of Cantaloupe. "This award also showcases our dedication to empowering businesses with tools that not only drive efficiency but also enhance customer engagement."

Inline Plastics 

Inline Plastics' Safe-T-Chef video won the Platinum DotComm Award. This accolade, presented in partnership with Levitate Media, honors outstanding achievement in digital communication and underscores the successful collaboration between the two companies.

The Safe-T-Chef video was acclaimed for its exceptional quality, creativity and impactful messaging. It effectively showcases Inline Plastics' new Safe-T-Chef product line — microwaveable packaging designed to secure hot food throughout shelf display, delivery and preparation, offering enhanced convenience and safety for both consumers and foodservice professionals, according to the company.

"This award is a testament to the stellar work of our team and our partners at Levitate Media," said Carrie Cline, senior brand manager at Inline Plastics. "It highlights our commitment to innovation and food safety through our Safe-T-Chef line."

InStore.ai 

InStore.ai entered into a strategic partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC), an organization focused on preventing and detecting theft, fraud and violence through collaborative research and evidence-based solutions. LPRC works alongside more than 95 major retailers, 150 solution providers, 25 law enforcement agencies and academic institutions to address critical issues in safety, loss prevention and fraud.

The partnership brings together InStore.ai's voice analytics technology and LPRC's expertise in evidence-based safety strategies. This collaboration aims to provide retailers with new tools and practices to reduce theft, enhance workplace safety and support a more secure shopping experience. 

InStore.ai's artificial intelligence-powered platform, which analyzes conversations between employees and customers in physical retail environments, is delivering measurable improvements in operational efficiency, customer experience and revenue. With the recent addition of automated alerts and notifications for timely events in stores, its potential is being harnessed to address some of retail's most persistent safety and security challenges, according to the company. 

"Our retail partners are consistently looking for solutions to address theft and safety challenges, and we're thrilled to collaborate with LPRC to deliver meaningful innovation to solve these challenges," said Jay Blazensky, CEO and cofounder of InStore.ai. "Together, we can help businesses not only protect their bottom line but also foster safer, more positive environments for employees and shoppers."

National Retail Solutions 

National Retail Solutions (NRS), a provider of point-of-sale (POS) systems and merchant services for independent retailers, launched "Marty's Minutes, C-Store Basics 101," an educational video series for convenience store owners and managers.

In collaboration with industry veteran Marty Glick, executive vice president of divisional sales at National Convenience Distributors, NRS created a series of short, informative videos covering everything related to convenience store operations. The series aims to provide valuable tips and tricks for effectively managing, stocking, and arranging convenience stores.

"We're incredibly excited to collaborate with Marty Glick on this project," said Elie Y. Katz, president and CEO of NRS. "Independent merchants often lack the resources of larger chains, such as extensive back-office support or substantial marketing budgets. Marty's three decades of experience in the convenience store industry make him the ideal person to share practical, actionable advice through our NRS Marty's Minutes series. Our initiative reflects our commitment to empowering small business owners with the knowledge they need to run their stores more efficiently and competitively."

The "Marty's Minutes, C-Store Basics 101" videos will cover a wide range of topics, including inventory management best practices, practical store layout and product placement, customer service tips, marketing and promotion strategies, and maximizing technology in convenience stores.

The video series are available on NRS's YouTube channel and shared across all NRS social media platforms using the hashtag #MartysMinutes.

PDI Technologies

PDI Technologies acquired the Comdata Merchant Solutions business from Comdata's parent company, Corpay Inc. This includes the POS hardware, software and systems that enable transactions at the site level for truck stops and unattended commercial fueling locations. 

The addition of the Comdata Merchant Solutions assets and technologies to the existing PDI retail offering expands and strengthens the PDI POS portfolio.  

Comdata will retain operations of its truck stop payment acceptance network, including the fuel cards issued to trucking companies and the technology that accepts transactions at truck stop retailers, which were not included in the acquisition. As part of the deal, PDI will become an approved provider of Comdata transactions across the PDI POS solutions. 

PDI Technologies also formed a strategic relationship with Swiftly. Together, Swiftly and PDI are providing brands and retailers with the technology to deliver personalized offers and advertisements to consumers through the PDI GasBuddy app. 

GasBuddy app users can now earn cashback rewards with a new Receipt Scanning capability and Swiftly's technology will match purchased items with deals and challenges that rack up points that can be cashed out to a linked PayPal account or used to redeem various retail gift cards. This will provide actionable product intelligence, enabling retailers and brands to execute targeted promotions with pinpoint accuracy, while optimizing marketing strategies and enhancing customer value, according to PDI.  

Utz Brands Inc. 

Utz Brands Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its 650,000-square-foot warehouse in Hanover, Pa. The logistics center is named in honor of Michael W. Rice, the grandson of Bill and Salie Utz, who recently retired after more than 50 years of service with Utz. 

[Read more: Utz Sheds Two Brands in Strategic Move]

"It's been an honor to be part of the Utz journey over the last 50-plus years. This new logistics center represents the company's historic values of reinvestment, growth, hard work and putting our customers first. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together, and I know this facility will help drive even greater success in the future," said Michael W. Rice.

The warehouse will serve as the primary logistics hub for inventory storage, consolidation and distribution for Utz facilities located across the U.S. The center boasts 73 dock doors and 375 trailer parking spots, and will utilize advanced warehouse management system functionality. To put the size of this building into context, it could house approximately 11 football fields, nine Boeing 747s and 46.8 million Utz Cheese Ball "barrels" inside its four walls, according to the company.

Additionally, Utz Brands estimates the facility will touch 2.3 million pallets of product and 1.1 billion pounds of product per year, which amounts to an estimated 18 billion snack food servings.

Conewago Enterprises Inc., a family-owned design-build general contractor serving the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond, was the building partner on the new warehouse facility.

Washworld 

Washworld added two new members to its distributor network, Wash Dudes LLC and My Local Car Wash. 

Wash Dudes LLC will sell and service Washworld equipment throughout western Colorado. According to the company, Wash Dudes LLC shares Washworld's commitment to prioritizing customer satisfaction. "Washworld is excited about this partnership and remains dedicated to providing customers with exceptional products and technical service," it said in a release.

Located in Marietta, Ga., My Local Car Wash sell and service Washworld vehicle wash systems throughout Georgia and eastern Tennessee.