The Jank receives this year’s H-E-B Supplier Diversity Supplier of the Year award at the 2017 Supplier Diversity Opportunity Exchange.
Texas Border Business
Weslaco, TX – The 2017 H-E-B Supplier Diversity Opportunity Exchange, held this past September 27th at the La Cantera Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, was the venue chosen to announce Lamar Jones as this year’s Supplier Diversity Supplier of the Year for his brand, The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauce. This prestigious award is given to businesses that excel in H-E-B’s Supplier Diversity program with effective go-to-market strategies and uniqueness.
Lamar Jones and The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauce brand of products were selected out of over 60,000 vendors, only 100 item entries were submitted this year. The Jank was chosen because it has “been transformational with regards to the industry norm”. The Jank has “resulted in substantial cost savings, uniqueness, and (effective) go-to-market strategy for H-E-B,” states James E. Harris, H-E-B’s Director of the Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity.
H-E-B’s Supplier Diversity Program is designed to provide greater opportunities of access, growth, and development to small and local businesses. The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauces has excelled through this program and can be found at H-E-B Grocery stores throughout Texas.
The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauce was founded from a complete and utter dissatisfaction with other BBQ sauce brands on the market. Jones was always compelled to add on and improve existing sauces to the point where he decided to make his own. Thus, The Jank was born and has been impressing palettes with incredible flavor ever since.
In 2014, The Jank won the McAllen Chamber’s Innovation Grant Award which helped Lamar launch his products onto an already competitive market. Three years later and The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauce has grown into a household name, as well as the official BBQ sauce of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Visit your local H-E-B today and pick up a bottle or two of the Original, Spicy, and Dry rub, all-purpose seasoning blend. Fans of The Jank (The Jank Nation) are already excited about the new Habanero flavored Jank BBQ Sauce that will be available at H.E.B. in January 2018. Don’t forget to Jank up any occasion with The Jank line of Gourmet sauces and spices. The Jank will turn your ordinary food into an extraordinary food experience! “So good that you can put it on cake!” You can also find all of The Jank products online today at https://www.bbqjank.com/.
Lamar Jones and The Jank Gourmet BBQ Sauces are experiencing great success, but that doesn’t stop him from giving back. As co-founder of the F.R.E.S.H. (Finally Realizing the Excellence in Showing Honor) program, Lamar helps underprivileged youths learn about the positive aspects of the arts through writing and recording. Jones has orchestrated talent shows and presently donates a percentage of his proceeds to provide scholarships.
Lamar plans to give back on a grander scale and with achievements like this, he’ll surely be able to do so in the near future. “It has always been about giving back. A business was the farthest thing from my mind when I began to create The Jank,” states Jones. “However, I am humbled and appreciative of the awe-inspiring success it continues to have. One of the greatest feelings I get is hearing that people genuinely love the product and that people are actually inspired by my story.”
At this rate, 2018 is geared to be a Janktastic year! We will celebrate this milestone with a “Jank You Very Much” party in February 2018. Everyone is invited. Follow The Jank @bbqjank on Instagram and Twitter for the exact date, time and location. In the meantime, please Jank responsibly.
