Rodeo winners (from left): Ryan Mangold, Rob Cuddy, Nick Blayney and Jordan Dickson

Dot Foods Inc awarded all-expenses-paid trips to Ryan Mangold, Rob Cuddy, Nick Blayney and Jordan Dickson as winners in the company's 2014 forklift rodeo.

Forty entrants from across the US represented Dot Foods facilities. Ten operators competed in each of four materials handling equipment categories.

"While this is a great celebration of our employees and their skills, we really like to focus on working safely," says John Long, Dot Foods vice president of warehousing. "There are tight turns, stops and other obstacles that make this a challenging course, but we expect our contestants to practise the same safe habits they always use in the workplace. They did a great job."

Brian Heacock served as the national forklift rodeo co-ordinator for the 19 June event. Heacock is assistant warehouse manager in Dot Foods' Williamsport, Maryland distribution centre.

Penalties were imposed for contacting course barriers, improper stops, incorrect horn usage and dropping a delicately balanced basketball.

Mangold of Rushville, Illinois won on a Crown in the narrow-aisle category - as he did in the 2013 contest. He represented the Illinois cool-food warehouse in Mt Sterling. Bobby Harris of the Illinois frozen-food warehouse was second, and Scott Dow of the Vidalia, Georgia centre was third.

Cuddy of Martinsburg, West Virginia won on a Yale in the forklift category. He represented Dot's Maryland distribution centre. Josh Hall of the Burley, Idaho centre was second, and Ulises Rodriquez of the Modesto, California centre was third.

Blayney of Wynnewood, Oklahoma won on a Crown in the pallet jack category. He represented the Ardmore, Oklahoma distribution centre. Mike Corbitt of the Liverpool, New York centre was second, and Terrance Johnson of the Idaho centre was third.

Dickson of Ardmore won on a Yale in the order picker category. He represented the Oklahoma warehouse. David Smith of the Cambridge City, Indiana centre was second, and Jason Luther of the Maryland centre was third.

Operators for the Oklahoma site accumulated the best overall score during the 2014 rodeo finals in Mt Sterling and, collectively, were declared the all-round distribution centre champions.

Mt Sterling-based Dot Foods sells and, with its Dot Transportation unit and other freight carriers, delivers 105,000 separate foodservice, convenience, retail and vending food products from 650 manufacturers to distributors in 50 US states.

In addition to its existing sites, Dot Foods is investing USD24 million in a distribution centre in Dyersburg, Tennessee for deliveries to locations in middle and western Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and western Kentucky. Scheduled to be operational in November, the new facility will have 166,494 sqft. (15,467 sqm) for frozen, refrigerated and ambient storage; a 125,000 sqft. (11,613 sqm) warehouse; and a 9,500 sqft. (883 sqm) truck and tractor garage.