Dot Foods of Mt. Sterling was honored for its entrepreneurial spirit on Monday, Oct. 12, at the Tri-State Development Summit in Fairfield, Iowa.
The Tri-State Development Steering Committee recognized Dot Foods and two other companies for their success in developing their businesses. The committee selected three companies, one from each of its participating states of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, that it believed had the most “inspiring story of entrepreneurship.” Companies were recognized based on revenue and employee growth.
“It is an honor that we were selected for this recognition,” said Jim Tracy, executive vice president and general counsel for Dot Foods. “The vision that my father had for Dot Foods when he founded it nearly 50 years ago is still in place and has helped it grow into the successful company it is today.”
Founded by Robert F. Tracy in 1960, Dot Foods employs 3,200 people nationwide, with 1,600 of those jobs in Mt. Sterling. The company is the largest food redistributor in the United States, carrying 83,000 products from 500 food industry manufacturers. As the corporate headquarters, the Mt. Sterling location is the main hub for operations throughout the country.
More than 300 people attended the summit, which celebrated more than a decade of regional collaboration under the Summit’s initiative to improve the quality of life of the tri-state region through economic development activities.
Dot Foods and Dot Transportation sell and deliver foodservice, convenience, retail, vending, equipment and supplies to leading distributors in all 50 states. Dot Foods operates nine distribution centers in: Modesto, Calif.; Vidalia, Ga.; Burley, Idaho; Mt. Sterling, Ill.; Joliet, Ill.; Cambridge City, Ind.; Williamsport, Md.; Liverpool, N.Y.; and Ardmore, Okla.