Lockport, New York-based NetPlus Alliance, an industrial and contractor supplies buying group, hosted 550 distributor and supplier attendees from more than 245 companies at its Annual Meeting in Nashville earlier this month, where it named its latest award winners.

The 2020 MVP Distributor of the Year Award was presented to Ohio Power Tool for the addition of seven new NetPlus suppliers, $2 million in NetPlus purchases volume and 25% year-over-year total growth. The Distributor of the Year must have the best score among criteria measured, including new suppliers added, total NetPlus purchases growth and same-store purchases growth.

The 2020 MVP Supplier of the Year Tier I was presented to Milwaukee Tool in recognition of their attention to the distributor, field focus and outstanding marketing capabilities, resulting in year-over-year sales growth of 32%.

The 2020 MVP Supplier of the Year Tier II was presented to Radians in recognition of their commitment to grow opportunities with distributor members and maximize their partnership with NetPlus. In a “tough year,” the company grew same-store business by 10% and added 14 new distributors, NetPlus said.

The 2020 MVP Supplier of the Year Tier III was presented to Adenna, which had total NetPlus purchases growth of 35% over 2019, seven new NetPlus distributor accounts and same-store purchases growth of 30%.

The Growth Plus Excellence Award was presented to two distributor members, MC Tool & Safety and Aabaco Environmental Industries, and two supplier partners, M.K. Morse and Generac, for the creativity and execution of a 2021 Growth Plus Plan.

The 2021 Growth Plus Best in Class Award went to Pennsylvania Tool and Radians for their exceptional demonstration of partnership. The company made a Growth Plus commitment together by setting a 30% year-over-year growth goal for 2021.

The Dan Judge Founder’s Award was presented to Jon-Michael Raymond, sales and marketing director at Starrett. The award is given to a distributor or supplier that exemplifies the group’s core purpose, is an advocate for NetPlus and is “passionate about industrial distribution,” NetPlus said.

The Partnership Excellence Award is presented annually to a “true partner and advocate” for NetPlus Alliance. For 2021, it was awarded to Patrick Murray, director of business development at ORS Nasco, for his dedication to the ongoing growth of his organization within NetPlus.

The 2021 BlueVolt Engagement Award was presented to Allan Guthrie, director of strategic sourcing at DXP, and the Milwaukee team for their high levels of commitment to and engagement with the NetPlus Academy, powered by BlueVolt.

The 2020 Conversion Champion Award recognized companies that have gone above and beyond to convert business to NetPlus suppliers, adding five or more new suppliers in 2020. The winners include: AFISCO Industrial, Alabama Construction Company, ITC Electronics, Supplies Unlimited, Gogel Fastener & Industrial Supply, Ohio Power Tool and Midland Tool.

The 2020 Marketing Excellence Award was presented to Fytertech Nonwovens. The award is presented annually to a supplier that executes a strategic marketing plan with NetPlus and achieves one of the highest levels of all-in sales growth for the year. From May to December 2020, the company achieved 350% growth and year-to-date are up 129% with NetPlus Alliance.

The 2020 Distributor Engagement Award was presented to Alabama Construction Supply, a NetPlus member since 2016. ACS was recognized for their high level of engagement and growth in 2020, adding eight new NetPlus suppliers, achieving 33% growth over the previous year, and 30% same-store growth.

The Distributor and Supplier Reporting Award went to five distributor members and five supplier partners. Distributor recipients included ITC Electronics, Jeta Corporation, Winsupply, Axon US, and DXP. Supplier recipients included Starrett, Radians, Logistics Supply, Stanley Storage, and Rust-Oleum. This award is presented to companies that go the extra mile with NetPlus reporting and reconciliation.

The theme of the Annual Meeting, “Stronger Together,” celebrated the group’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions together, while continuing to achieve above-market growth, NetPlus said.

“Our 2021 Annual Meeting certainly did not disappoint,” NetPlus President Jennifer Murphy said. “The energy from this year’s in-person event was the perfect embodiment of this year’s theme — ‘We are Stronger Together.’ Despite every obstacle over the past year, our member companies grew stronger channel partnerships and more resilient business practices by coming together. I am looking forward to the continued growth and success of NetPlus Alliance and our membership in the years ahead.”