Annual awards celebrate innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the food and beverage industry
NOVATO, Calif. – October 28, 2025 – As the 2025 SafetyChain Summit draws to a close in New Orleans, SafetyChain has announced the winners of its annual SafetyChain Awards, recognizing food and beverage manufacturers who exemplify operational excellence, data-driven leadership, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The awards were presented during an evening ceremony on October 21, celebrating this year’s standout achievers – including Wayne-Sanderson Farms, honored for SafetyChain Team of the Year, and Lone Star Meats, who won SafetyChain Audit of the Year.
Now in its sixth year, the SafetyChain Awards have become an important part of the annual Summit, spotlighting customers who use digital plant management to drive measurable impact across quality, safety, and production performance. From mastering complex audits to transforming workflows and fostering stronger cross-functional collaboration, each winner represents a different aspect of what modern manufacturing success looks like in a connected, data-rich environment.
“Every year, the SafetyChain Awards remind us that innovation happens where great people and great technology meet,” said Noah Logan, Chief Customer Officer at SafetyChain. “Our customers are proof that when you pair smart, connected software with the expertise of plant teams, you can transform how work gets done, turning compliance into confidence, and data into decisions. These winners represent the best of what’s possible when digital tools empower people to lead safer, more efficient, and more resilient operations on the plant floor.”
The program celebrates achievement across seven categories – or “Seven Ways to Be Recognized” – celebrating those who bring innovation to life on the plant floor. The “Continuous Improvement” award honors teams constantly refining their processes, while the “Comeback Kid” award celebrates resilience and recovery, with each category highlighting a different way manufacturers are gaining mastery over their processes. Other honors include “Plant Management Champion,” “Rookie of the Year,” “Team of the Year,” “Admin of the Year,” and “Audit of the Year.”
Wayne-Sanderson Farms, which won this year’s Team of the Year, was commended for its seamless implementation of SafetyChain technology at all of its 23 plant locations, transforming their food safety and quality programs with projected savings of more than $1 million per year. The company is also dedicated to sustainability – in the last 12 months, it has submitted more than 7 million records into the SafetyChain platform, which equates roughly to saving 800 trees or $600,000 worth of paper.
“We are honored to be recognized as SafetyChain’s Team of the Year,” said Juanfra DeVillena, Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance and Food Safety at Wayne-Sanderson Farms. “This award reflects the dedication of our teams and their commitment to using technology to make a real difference every day. By connecting our quality assurance and food safety data collection through SafetyChain and harnessing the power of data analytics, we have improved consistency and visibility across all locations, empowering our people to work smarter, make faster decisions, and operate more sustainably.”
This year’s winners include:
- Wayne-Sanderson Farms, SafetyChain Team of the Year
- Jennifer Martinez of Seaboard Triumph Foods, SafetyChain Admin of the Year
- Upper Iowa Beef, SafetyChain Plant Management Champion
- Lone Star Meats, SafetyChain Audit of the Year
- Bakerly, SafetyChain Comeback Kid
- Egglife Foods, SafetyChain Continuous Improvement Award
- Mountaire Farms, SafetyChain Rookie of the Year
Additional nominees included Tyson, Rema Foods, Solina USA, Didion, Ajinomoto, Meats by Linz, Cross Point Polymers, Walt’s Wholesale Meats, Karlsburger Foods, Butterball, Smithfield, Driscoll’s of Europe, and SK Food Group – all nominated for putting quality, food safety, and operational excellence at the forefront.
“We had an incredible turnout at this year’s summit,” Logan continued. “Attendees are raising the bar for continuous improvement across the industry. We heard first-hand the difference events like this make to their career development. They share and learn so much, and then take those learnings back to their companies and implement real, lasting change.”
The 2025 SafetyChain Summit brought together more than 200 industry leaders for three days of sessions, case studies, and technology showcases focused on advancing food safety, quality, and efficiency. Highlights included a keynote from Jorge Hernandez, Vice President of Quality Assurance at Wendy’s, who discussed global food safety risks and the importance of building resilient safety cultures. The event also featured over 35 expert-led sessions, 17 industry speakers, and new product announcements – including the launch of SafetyChain’s new Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) Management module.
For more information about the SafetyChain Summit and the full list of award winners, visit summit.safetychain.com
About SafetyChain Software
SafetyChain is the leading digital plant management platform trusted by over 2,500 food and beverage manufacturers to improve quality, throughput, and compliance. By connecting plant floor operations with real-time visibility and optimization tools, SafetyChain helps manufacturers unlock performance gains, reduce risk, and ensure regulatory compliance.
SafetyChain is the leading digital plant management platform trusted by over 2,500 food and beverage manufacturers to improve quality, throughput, and compliance. By connecting plant floor operations with real-time visibility and optimization tools, SafetyChain helps manufacturers unlock performance gains, reduce risk, and ensure regulatory compliance.
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