McLane Company recently recognized extraordinary teammate contributions during its 2026 spring leadership meeting, honoring four teammates with the LEAD Award and presenting the company’s first-ever Hero of the Year Award. These honors celebrate teammates whose leadership, character, and actions reflect McLane’s values: Lead Forward; Excellence in All We Do; Authentic Connections; and Do the Right Thing. Presented annually, the awards honor teammates whose sustained performance and positive influence make a meaningful impact across the organization, and with customers and partners.  

“The LEAD and Hero of the Year awards celebrate the exceptional McLane teammates who drive our success,” said Tony Frankenberger, McLane Company president and CEO, during the awards presentation. “I’m incredibly proud of these teammates and the example they set through their values and actions.” 

The 2026 LEAD Award recipients are: 

• Lupe Garcia, Driver, McLane Southwest
  Recognized for sustained excellence, strong leadership, and a commitment to safety and building trusted relationships with teammates and customers.  

• Petar Kokic, Director, IT Service Management, IT&D
  Honored for transformational leadership that strengthened service performance, collaboration, and business reliability across the organization. 

• Ashlee Talley, Senior National Account Manager, Vantix
  Recognized for longstanding leadership, customer advocacy, and delivering innovative solutions that created lasting value for McLane and its partners. 

• David West, Director of Operations, McLane Southern California
  Honored for driving sustained operational excellence, developing strong teams, and leading with integrity and accountability. 

In addition to the LEAD Awards, McLane introduced a new recognition in 2026: the McLane Hero of the Year Award. The inaugural Hero of the Year Award was presented to Alberto Rodriguez, a driver at McLane Orlando, whose quick thinking and decisive actions helped save the life of a young child on a dark highway in the early morning hours. After avoiding a potentially tragic collision, Alberto immediately stopped, ensured the child’s safety, contacted emergency services, and remained with the child until help arrived. 

Alberto’s actions exemplify the commitment to safety and professionalism that defines McLane’s drivers on and off the road. His actions inspired the creation of the Hero of the Year Award and set a powerful example of what it means to do the right thing when it matters most.   

Together, Alberto, Lupe, Petar, Ashlee, and David represent the very best of McLane—teammates whose leadership, integrity, and care for others continue to shape the company’s culture and success. Congratulations to all on the well-deserved recognition.