Trade customers to be honored at NCA’s 2013 State of the Industry Conference in February.

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has announced the recipients of the 2013 Confectionery Leadership Awards.

The awards celebrate contributions to the category by recipients through their effective business collaboration, category management best practices, and innovations in merchandising confectionery products in-store.

The following individuals were nominated by NCA members for their creativity and innovative thinking, and exceeded the award criteria:

Julia Bischoff, senior category manager at Smart & Final; Kimberley Felice-Dooley, senior category manager at CVS Caremark Corp.; and  AJ Jesswani, category merchant – candy and commercial bakery at Meijer Inc.

“This award program was designed to acknowledge those trade customers who serve as role models for other retailers and wholesalers,” said NCA President Larry Graham. “It recognizes individuals who use their experience to encourage visionary thinking and to drive the entire confectionery category forward.”

NCA, in collaboration with Candy & Snack TODAY magazine, created the awards program in 2011 to recognize and honor the confectionery industry’s best and most innovative category champions and leaders. The program allows NCA manufacturers and brokers to recognize these outstanding retailers and wholesalers in the confectionery community for their effective customer marketing, shopper-driven shelving practices, and promotion of new items.

Bischoff, Felice-Dooley and Jesswani will be presented with their awards in Miami at NCA’s annual State of the Industry Conference on Feb. 25, 2013.