The Procter & Gamble Company recognized its top performing external business partners at its annual External Business Partner Recognition Dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 23rd, 2013.

Nearly 80 supplier partners were recognized at the event, including: Arkay Packaging, BASF, Diamond Packaging, International Flavors & Fragrances, Firmenich, Nypro Packaging and Technimark.

A.G. Lafley, chairman of the board, president and CEO, P&G, spoke to guests, and said:

“For P&G, the primary drivers of growth and value creation are innovation and productivity. P&G’s external business partners help us deliver both, creating value for consumers, customers and shareholders alike

Lafley added that the collective capabilities of the companies and individuals in P&G’s global partner network offered a powerful competitive advantage. During his presentation he highlighted the contributions from a number of external business partners helping P&G innovate across its global supply chain.

Yannis Skoufalos, global product supply officer, P&G, added:

“Product Supply works hand-in-hand with our supply chain partners, exploring every aspect to innovate, drive out costs, and serve our customers and consumers better…when we collaborate with our supply chain partners, we create consumer value and competitive advantage for P&G.”