Dubai: American Specialty Foods Co has been honored with the prestigious Westford Award for Business Excellence in the Food & Beverage category. The award was presented at a grand ceremony held at Madinat Jumeirah, Mina Al Salam, Dubai, on January 24, 2025.
The award was received by the company's Founder and CEO, Hany M. Haneef, along with Co-founder and Director, Shahanaz Haneef. Expressing his gratitude, Haneef stated, "I am truly honored to receive this award. It belongs to our incredible team, partners, and supporters. Success is built on dedication, teamwork, and excellence. This is just the beginning; there is so much more ahead."
Established in 2013, American Specialty Foods Co has grown into a leading provider of premium global food solutions. Headquartered in Maryland, USA, the company also has offices in New York, Mexico, the UK, and the UAE. With a distribution network spanning over 50 countries, the company offers more than 20 specialty food categories and actively participates in major international food trade events worldwide.
The Westford Awards recognize outstanding business achievements across various industries, providing winners with greater visibility and networking opportunities. “This recognition further cements American Specialty Foods Co’s position as a leader in the specialty food and beverage sector,” a statement from the company added.
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Madikeri: The Kodagu district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a road blockade protest in Madikeri on Thursday, demanding the immediate arrest of those allegedly responsible for the suicide of party worker Vinay Somaiah.
BJP leaders and workers assembled at General Thimmaiah Circle in the heart of the city, raising slogans against the Congress party and the state government. The protestors specifically demanded action against a Congress spokesperson mentioned in a note Vinay reportedly left before his death.
Addressing the gathering, former Assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government and the police. He said the FIR against Vinay originally stayed by the court was later revived under a different section by the police. “Vinay had merely posted about the unhygienic condition of the Napoklu public toilet. Instead of addressing the issue, an FIR was filed against him. This is unacceptable. The police seem to be functioning under the directions of Congress MLAs, disregarding even court orders,” he stated.
District BJP President Napanda Ravi Kalappa also criticized the police, saying Vinay had no direct connection to the original post and was wrongly targeted. “An innocent man has lost his life. Two MLAs in Kodagu district are misusing police power to suppress dissent. The FIR was registered under political pressure,” he alleged, further demanding that the two MLAs resign and cooperate with the investigation into Vinay's death.
The protest led to a road blockade that lasted for over an hour, significantly affecting traffic. Despite requests from police officers to clear the area, BJP workers insisted on the arrival of the District Superintendent of Police (SP) to address their concerns.
SP K. Ramarajan later arrived at the protest site and informed the protesters that since the incident occurred in Bengaluru, the investigation was being conducted by the police there.
He assured full cooperation from the Kodagu police in the ongoing probe. Following his assurance, the BJP workers dispersed peacefully.
District BJP General Secretary Mahesh Jaini, SC Morcha District President P.M. Ravi, Women’s Wing President Anita Poovaiah, and other key party functionaries including Suvin Ganapathy, Jagadish, Arun Shetty, municipal council members, and BJP office-bearers from across the district were present on the occasion.