Chattanooga, Tenn. (Feb. 13, 2024) –The Sales Institute at the Gary W. Rollins College of Business announced a new partnership with food and snack manufacturer McKee Foods, headquartered in Collegedale, Tenn. McKee employs more than 6,400 employees across the United States, with annual revenues in excess of $1.4 billion.
McKee Foods was honored as the 2nd “Gold Level” Corporate Partner of the Sales Institute at an event in Fletcher Hall, home of the Sales Institute in the Rollins College of Business, on Feb, 8, 2024 with representation from McKee Foods, the Sales Institute faculty, the Dean’s Office, UTC Advancement, and of course – some current UTC sales students and soon-to-be graduates.
A select group of just 18 companies are presently joining the RCOB’s Sales Institute as Corporate Partners. In so doing, they provide valuable financial and mentoring / program support to UTC’s rapidly growing sales program and students.
“McKee Foods is simply an excellent partner for the UTC Sales Institute, and we could not be more thrilled with their commitment to us as our 2nd partner at the “Gold” Level,” said Managing Director of the Sales Institute at UTC, and Gary W. Rollins Endowed Chair and Professor of Sales, Christopher R. Plouffe. “They have a tremendously strong and vibrant sales and customer-facing organization, ripe with outstanding career opportunities in sales and business development for graduates of the UTC sales program. We look forward to McKee being a critical member of our Corporate Partners group for years to come.”
Chris McKee, President and COO of McKee Foods Corporation, attended the ceremony honoring the company as just the second “Gold” Corporate Partner.
“We feel our partnership with the UTC Sales Institute is going to be beneficial for all of us,” McKee said. “We are extremely impressed with the practical value of the program and looking forward to supporting its growth.”
Joe Thrash, National Trade Relations Manager, McKee Foods Corporation also participated in the visit to the Sales Institute.
“As a sales professional, it is great to see the Institute is preparing the next generation of sales leaders,” Thrash said. “The institute is giving students the tools to succeed in the real world, and we are looking forward to being a part of their growth and development.”
The Sales Institute at the Rollins College of Business launched in 2022 and has 18 Corporate Partners, across 3 Membership / Sponsorship Levels. Approximately one-third of the positions in the Sales Institute’s Corporate Partners group are now sold to leading firms in industry verticals such as B2B insurance, healthcare and benefits administration, and now (with McKee Foods) fast-moving consumer goods.
For more information on the Sales Institute at UTC, please visit:
Web: https://www.utc.edu/rollins-sales-institute
Email: sales@utc.edu or chris-plouffe@utc.edu
