Diamond Packaging was named an “External Business Partner of the Year” by Procter & Gamble during P&G’s annual External Business Partner Recognition Dinner on October 23, 2013.

“We are extremely honored to have won this prestigious award,” said Karla Fichter, chairman/CEO, and president of Diamond Packaging. “Our partnership with Procter & Gamble is especially rewarding because of our shared commitment to innovation and value creation.”

Diamond was one of only 15 suppliers from P&G’s more than 82,000 suppliers and agencies who received the highest honor of being named “External Business Partner of the Year”.

Suppliers achieved this distinction by consistently scoring the highest in broad-based quantitative and qualitative evaluations by P&G employees throughout the supply chain.

Diamond was recognized for providing superior packaging solutions for multiple products lines, including P&G’s Gillette division (blades, razors), Old Spice and Secret Clinical Strength antiperspirants and deodorants, and Crest 3D White Whitestrips. Diamond has also been instrumental in the success of several P&G product launches, including its recent Gillette Fusion ProGlide global launch.

P&G’s chairman of the board, president and CEO, A.G. Lafley, spoke at the event – giving credit to its external business partners for helping to deliver innovation and productivity, which he said are the company’s primary growth drivers.

Diamond also received an Excellence Award for the fifth time in the last six years. Only about 0.1% of P&G’s global suppliers received this distinction for consistent high performance.

Rick Hughes, P&G’s chief purchasing officer., also congratulated the award winners, saying, “Our external business partners are a critical part of the P&G team and a true competitive advantage.”

Photo: P&G’s president A.G. Lafley presenting the External Business Partner Award to the team at Diamond Packaging. L-R: Peter Cecere, director of business development, Diamond Packaging; A.G. Lafley, president/CEO, P&G; Karla Fichter, president/CEO, Diamond Packaging; and Dave Semrau, vice president of Business Development, Diamond Packaging.