2023 Annual Conference

The Utah Food Industry Association hosted its 2023 Annual Conference and Celebration on August 8th at the Davis County Conference Center. During the event we inducted Bob Obray former CEO of Associated Food Stores into the industry’s Hall of Fame as well as paid tribute to Kent’s Market a company that has made extraordinary efforts to support our men and women in the military, with UFIA’s Impact Award.

Utah Food Industry Association 2022 Hall of Fame Honoree

BOB OBRAY - Associated Food Stores

At his passing, Robert (Bob) Obray was the president and CEO of Associated Food Stores. Bob died peacefully at home as a result of a rare neurological disease on August 9, 2022. Prior to being named CEO, Bob had served as the company’s chief financial officer since 2007. A graduate and master’s recipient in Accounting from Utah State University, Bob worked at Deloitte for 11 years prior to joining the Associated Food Stores team.

Bob led Associated Food Stores with the dual aim of maximizing consumer satisfaction and uplifting communities in need. Bob was always committed to giving back to his community and during his tenure, the company made generous donations to the Utah Food Bank, Primary Children’s Hospital, Muscular Dystrophy Association and Make-A-Wish Utah. Bob was fiercely committed to the strength of the independent grocer and passionate about taking care of the customer. He was posthumously honored with FMI’s Herbert Hoover Award for Humanitarian Service.

A family man, Bob met his wife Jen when they were in the second grade, and they have been great friends ever since. During their 34 years of marriage, Bob and Jen became parents to three children, Lindsay, Trevor and Chandler. Bob never shied away from the title of grandpa, and absolutely adored his grandchildren.

After a lifetime of people-first progress and food retail success, the late Bob Obray raised the bar for humanitarian leadership and left an inspiring and enduring legacy.

Utah Food Industry Association 2023 Impact Award Honoree

KENT’S MARKET

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, Kent’s Market joined Operation Home Front and partners from the vendor community, to host Holiday Meals for the Military in Utah for a 6th time in 3 years.  This year’s drive-through event was the largest of its kind across the US and benefited 400 Utah military families.  Operation Home Front & Kent’s Market provided over $220,000 in gift cards and groceries to military families in need. More than 6000 bags of groceries and 20 pallets of beverages were distributed at this event.

Operation Home Front’s Meals for Military has provided meals to more than 675,000 military family members since 2010.  Operation Home Front is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families in the communities our military have worked so hard to protect.  

Opened in 1976, Kent’s Market is still family owned and operated. Kent Beckstrom, founder of Kent’s Market, often-expressed gratitude to live in a country where he and others had the freedom and opportunity to own, build and operate a locally owned family business. Kent loved and valued his family, considered employees friends, and looked for opportunities to make a difference in the communities that Kent’s Markets operate.  In this spirit, Kent’s team salutes the men and women who wear the military uniform.

Conference Speakers

MARK MILLER - Vice President of High Performance Leadership - Chick-fil-A

Culture Rules: The Leader’s Guide to Creating the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

In every organization, people either love their work or loathe it; they contribute or coast. Your culture can be soul enriching or soul crushing. Your culture gives life or takes it. Your employees care deeply or couldn’t care less. Your organization’s culture can become the most valuable intangible asset you steward. You can build a high performance culture—a place where people and the organization win.

Mark Miller is a business leader, best-selling author, and communicator. Mark started his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member in 1977 and today leads as Vice President of High Performance Leadership. He began writing almost twenty years ago, and with over one million books in print in more than twenty-five languages, Mark’s global impact continues to grow.

ROBERT SPENDLOVE - Economic and Public Policy Officer - Zions Bank 

Preparing for Uncertainty – An Economy in Transition

The economy continues to confound. Has inflation peaked and how long until price increases return to normal? Is the labor market softening or will historic labor shortages continue to keep unemployment low? How high will the Federal Reserve increase interest rates and have they gone too far? Robert’s presentation will examine these challenges and how businesses can continue to thrive in an uncertain environment.

Robert is a Senior Vice President and the Economic and Public Policy Officer for Zions Bank. In this capacity he monitors and reports on economic indicators and public policy developments for the bank. Robert's research interests are primarily in the areas of macroeconomics, demographics, financial markets and public policy. He frequently advises and briefs policymakers, as well as business and civic groups throughout the United States. He is also regularly called on to give expert analysis in the media, through print, radio, and television. He is known for his insightful and understandable approach to explaining economic trends. 

Robert’s previous experience includes time as the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff for Federal Relations, the Governor's Chief Economist and the State Demographer, where he served as the Chair of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisers, Chair of the Utah Population Estimates Committee, and President of the Wasatch Front Economic Forum. Robert received a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in economic public policy at the University of Utah, where he is currently an adjunct instructor of public policy. 

Click Here for Robert’s Presentation Slides

Utah Best Bagger Competition

The Utah Food Industry Association hosted the state’s best bagger competition at it annual convention. The competition was fierce with 25 of the state’s best baggers fighting for the title of “state champion”. After the dust settled Madison Ireland from the Draper Harmons was dubbed the 2023 Utah state best bagger. Madison will now move on to the national best bagger competition, which will be held in February in Las Vegas, Nevada. Competitors at the national competition will be fighting for a $10,000 grand prize and national bragging rights for their home state. Congratulations and Good Luck Madison!