Boelter Company in Milwaukee was honored as the supplier recipient of this year’s Salute to Excellence Awards, presented by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation (WRA EF).

Each year, the WRA EF recognizes five individuals and one company for dedication and commitment to education in the restaurant industry. Salute to Excellence honorees have made contributions to the future of the industry through their commitment to education and their communities.

The Boelter Company has been in business for 75 years and CEO Bill Boelter has been in the foodservice industry for over 40 years. Boelter Company has always been very active in both WRA statewide and the Milwaukee Chapter and the American Culinary Federation. Representatives from the Boelter Company have served on the WRA EF Board of Directors and have contributed to the new WRA office building fund. Boelter Company has also established the Fred W. Boelter Memorial WRA Scholarship to help students that are pursuing careers in the foodservice industry.

Community service is also a strong value at Boelter Company. Each year the company is a sponsor at fundraising and benefit events including the WRA EF golf outing and the Club Mangers of Wisconsin Benefit golf outing. The company also sponsors the Milwaukee Public Market and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

epresentatives from Boelter Company have also served as board members for the Junior Achievement of Wisconsin and the Lutheran Home.

The Boelter Company has also received several awards including 2005 Dealer of the Year from Foodservice Equipment and Supply Specialist magazine and 2004 WRA Milwaukee Chapter Supplier of the Year.

Other 2006 Salute to Excellence honorees include Chef James Nowak (Hilton Milwaukee City Center), Jim Marks (Riversite Restaurant and River Lane Inn), Marita “Mic” Pietrykowski (Waukesha County Technical College), Tom Boyle (Posthumus, Society Insurance) and Jolene Goeden-Massuch (Watertown High School). Each honoree has worked in a variety of roles to create opportunities for people interested in foodservice industry careers. They work in different parts of the state and in different professions, but they share an enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the restaurant industry.

The Salute to Excellence awards were presented at the 2006 Celebration of Excellence held on Sunday, October 15 at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva.

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Founded in 1987, the WRA Education Foundation is one of the largest state restaurant association foundations in the U.S. It strives to create a promising future for the foodservice industry by raising awareness of foodservice as a professional career path, providing ongoing training and education for foodservice professionals and serving as a state leader on food safety and sanitation.