IN BRIEF

*Avalon Distributing, Canal Fulton, Ohio, a $45-million broadliner, has been awarded a contract worth at least $1.5 million for TCBY stores in a four-state area.

*Technomic, Inc., Chicago, and Willard Bishop Consulting, Ltd., Barrington, IL, are joining forces to conduct a study to result in the foodservice industry's first comprehensive evaluation and modeling of the supply chain, the consultant companies have announced. Activity-based costing methodology will be combined with distributor-supplied performance data to identify cost-reduction and profit-enhancing supply, assortment and pricing opportunities.

*National Fisheries Institute (NFI), Arlington, VA, has selected Foodconnex Worldwide as its exclusive e-business partner. NFI members will have access to the Foodconnex Worldwide product catalog database, as well as administrative capabilities for their own products. The database of member products will be available on the NFI website (www.nfi.org). In addition, NFI has presented Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) with its FINesse Legislative Award, as a champion of the commercial fish and seafood industry.

*Oneida Ltd., Oneida, NY, is reducing its work week from five days to four in selected sections of its Sherrill, NY, flatware manufacturing facilities and eliminating approximately 65 overhead and non-manufacturing positions at local operations. The terrorist attacks of September 11 were cited as a significant factor. The tableware unit in particular has been impacted by declines in airline, restaurant and hotel volume.

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