QCD Charlotte, North Carolina Celebrates 2024 Chairman’s Challenge Win

Feb 25

Golden State Foods (GSF) presented the company’s highest honor, the Chairman’s Challenge Award, to the 2024 winner, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) Charlotte, North Carolina, during its Global Leadership Conference in Southern California on February 20, 2025. Pictured from left to right: Stephen Wetterau, GSF Board of Directors Executive Vice Chair; Scott VanLue, QCD Charlotte General Manager; and Brian Dick, GSF President and CEO.

During the Golden State Foods (GSF) 2025 Global Leadership Conference this month, associates from across the GSF family of companies celebrated the QCD Charlotte, North Carolina team for winning the company’s highest internal honor – the Chairman’s Challenge Award. A 25-year tradition, this coveted award recognizes excellence in key performance areas, including people, safety, quality, customer support, financial results, and community engagement. GSF President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Dick and Stephen Wetterau, Executive Vice Chair of the GSF Board of Directors, co-presented the award to Scott VanLue, QCD Charlotte General Manager.

“QCD Charlotte excelled in so many aspects of their 2024 performance, building on a Best in Class Award win last year and seizing every opportunity to soar to new heights together as one team,” said Brian. “Congratulations to the Charlotte team on a banner year and this well-deserved recognition of the many accomplishments and outstanding results achieved by our dedicated associates!”

Among the numerous 2024 accomplishments announced during the award presentation, the QCD Charlotte team supported customers with last-mile distribution services; provided hurricane relief support, earning distinct customer recognition; delivered a consistent safety performance, recognized by a fourth consecutive annual National Safety Council Award; piloted new operational technology to reduce accidents; excelled in cost management; achieved financial results; maintained the highest standards in quality audits conducted internally, externally, and with customers; and inspired associates’ community involvement.

“We talked about bringing home the Eagle for so long, and now it’s finally happening!” said QCD Charlotte General Manager Scott VanLue. “Our associates have worked so hard day in and day out, in challenging weather conditions to service our customers, giving back to support our community, and even delivered a baby while in the field! This Chairman’s Challenge Award is a great honor, and I’m so excited to share it with the team.”

Scott also won a Stellar Award, the highest individual honor in the company, for his exceptional leadership in 2024. In addition, QCD Charlotte received GSF’s 2024 Safety Excellence Award, the GSF Foundation’s Outstanding Associate Engagement award, and its second consecutive GSF “Best in Class” Platinum Award in the distribution category.

For 2024, QCD Phoenix, Arizona won the “Best in Class” Diamond Award for the fourth consecutive year, and earned a 2024 Safety Excellence Award and Best Managed Fleet honors for Best Small Fleet.

Congratulations to the following QCD teams for earning 2024 operational awards:

Best Managed Fleet Award: 