By Shelley Denning

Back row from left: PCCA’s Traffic and Invoicing personnel, Dale Burke, Chris Ford, Rick Shepherd. Front row from left: Jackie Lynn, Mary Furlow, Hulene Mansell. Photo by Shelley Denning.

Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA) received top honors earlier this year from one of its major textile mill customers, Milliken & Company of Spartanburg, SC. PCCA was awarded the Distinguished Supplier award, part of Milliken’s efforts to create world class partnerships with its suppliers.

There are two levels of award recognition: Distinguished Supplier; and Progressive Supplier. To receive the more prestigious Distinguished Supplier Award, PCCA had to achieve 1) 100 percent use of EDI (electronic data interchange), 2) advance shipment notice, 3) 100 percent first quality product, 4) 99 percent on-time delivery, and 5) participation in joint cost-reduction efforts. PCCA has received the Distinguished Supplier Award the past five consecutive years.

“PCCA is proud of the high standard of service offered to its customers,” explains Rick Shepherd, PCCA’s traffic and invoicing manager. “It is nice to be honored by Milliken in recognition of our efforts.”

By fulfilling the quality, service and value requirements established by Milliken, PCCA is working within its mission: “To add significant value to the cotton marketed for our members by being the supplier of choice to our business partners in terms of quality, service and value.”