GLOUCESTER, MASS. — Gorton’s Seafood has named Didion Milling, Sun Prairie, Wis., as Commodity Supplier of the Year. It is the second time Didion Milling has been recognized by the seafood processor.

Lisa Webb, vice president of operations for Gorton’s, said the company’s longevity — it is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year — and success is tied to its commitment to producing high-quality products. That quality, however, cannot be achieved without supplier partners equally committed to that charge.

“We’re very careful in the selection with our suppliers so we uphold our high-quality, rigorous standards,” Webb said. “It’s that commitment to quality and to continually improve and grow.”

Didion Milling became a supplier for Gorton’s in 2019 when the seafood manufacturer was looking for contingency suppliers for corn flour for coatings in its Specialty Products business unit.

Gorton’s uses a monthly score card to rank suppliers who operate in different categories and business units and help acknowledge which partners are meeting the company’s needs and standards. During the pandemic, Didion stood out, and in 2021, the family-owned milling company that started as a contingency supplier won Commodity Supplier of the Year for Gorton’s Specialty Products.

Didion won the award again in 2023. Riley Didion, chief executive officer of Didion Milling, acknowledged the honor of receiving this award.

“We’re probably our toughest critic, but it is rewarding when someone you value, respect and have a good relationship with acknowledges the hard work you’ve done and you get to take that message back to your team,” he said. “It’s such an honor to say to the team, ‘What you do matters. When you take the extra step, it matters.’”

Webb emphasized that Didion hit the ground running at the beginning of the relationship between the two companies.

“Didion stepped it up for us at the beginning of the partnership and helped us get through the increased consumer demand we saw with people eating more frozen foods at home,” Webb said. “Having Didion be a part of that made a significant impact on our ability to serve our consumers.”

The fact Didion Milling is family owned stands out to both Didion and Webb as a factor for the milling company’s commitment to quality product and service.

“They’ve beaten out some tough competition in the past few years because they’ve delivered nearly 100% perfection over the past two years and been 100% on time across their full track record,” Webb said. “They take so much pride in service and quality because their name is attached.”