KINGFIELD – For operations at its Kingfield facility Poland Spring, one of Nestle Waters North America’s twelve bottled water brands, was honored with the 2016 Retail Manufacturing Excellence Award.

Each year, Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) gives special recognition to one of its 30 bottled water facilities from across the United States and Canada.

Kingfield Plant Manager Chris McKay recently accepted the award on the facility’s behalf at a ceremony in Orlando, Florida.

“It is an honor to accept this award on behalf of the hardworking men and women who work at Poland Spring’s Kingfield factory,” said McKay. “Our team takes tremendous pride in their work and in their service to our community and customers. Their commitment to safety is second to none as illustrated by our accident-free record.”

When selecting a facility for this annual award, NWNA considers things such as accident reports, productivity, employee engagement and consumer complaints. Poland Spring’s Kingfield facility proved it was best in class for all benchmarks and took home the top prize.

“I am so pleased Nestlé Waters has recognized our staff’s contributions through this prestigious award,” added McKay. “We treat each other like family here, which is why I believe our Kingfield factory is such a terrific place to work.”

The Kingfield facility is also growing, adding to the good news in this region. Because consumers are drinking bottled water more than ever before, Poland Spring is adding a third line at the Kingfield facility.

The new line, which is the result of a $25 million investment, is expected to be operational in May. To support the line, Poland Spring has hired 20 new employees at the Kingfield location.

“I’m so pleased that our company has turned to Kingfield to grow its operations,” added McKay. “When this facility opened, we had 40 employees and soon we will have 90. That’s a great track record for growth in just a few short years, and I’m sincerely proud of our shared success.”

 Employees at the Poland Spring Plant in Kingfield were recently recognized by Nestle Waters North America.