McGladrey LLP, a provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market, announced the winner of the 2015 McGladrey Lifetime Achievement Award: Sheldon Lavin, Chairman and CEO of OSI Group, LLC, based in Aurora, Ill.
The McGladrey Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes distinguished Chicago-area business executives who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in business and civic involvement, and have made significant contributions to the community, thereby setting an example for future business leaders.
“McGladrey is proud to recognize Sheldon for his exceptional accomplishments in the food industry and the leadership he’s shown in the Chicago business community,” said Pete Mulvey, partner and leader of McGladrey’s Great Lakes food and beverage practice. “We are proud to be associated with such a visionary who so generously provides opportunities for his employees, inspires the global food industry and serves his local community.”
During his tenure, Lavin has led OSI to become a multibillion dollar global food processing enterprise. Based in Aurora, Ill., OSI Group provides a wide variety of meat, poultry, fish, vegetable and specialty-dough products and processing solutions to customers in the restaurant, private-label, retail, industrial and foodservice-distributor sectors. Their products are produced and distributed through more than 60 facilities in 16 countries.
At 83, Lavin still leads OSI’s growth, especially in Europe and Asia. He also continues to lead OSI’s innovation. He views expansion and diversification to be key to OSI’s future growth, along with maintaining its family-like culture.
In addition, Lavin has supported Ronald McDonald House Charities for more than 25 years, and is a trustee and chairman of its capital campaign. He also supports a myriad of other local and national charities.
“I have known and admired Sheldon for more than 30 years. He is a well-respected executive in the industry who truly deserves this honor,” said Karen Kurek, a partner in McGladrey’s industrial products practice.
McGladrey presented the Lifetime Achievement Awards during its annual Manufacturing & Distribution Executive Summit, held this year in Rosemont, Ill. on Oct. 22. The meeting was one of several such summits McGladrey is hosting in major cities across the United States in 2015. The summits are an opportunity for leaders in the manufacturing and distribution industry to gather and discuss the 2015 McGladrey Manufacturing & Distribution Monitor survey results, in which more than 1,600 industry executives and thought leaders shared their perspectives on major issues affecting U.S. manufacturers and distributors as well as the challenges and opportunities facing companies today.