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HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. – McKenzie Laughlin has been named the recipient of the inaugural Pro Food Systems, Inc. Employee-Owner (EO) Scholarship.
“It is a great honor to be the first PFSbrands scholarship recipient,” said Laughlin. “Seeing this idea come to life is pretty awesome. I’m glad I could play a part in establishing something that will benefit other graduates in the years to come.”
McKenzie is the daughter of Stacey Laughlin, a 22-year employee-owner and Director of Creative Services at PFSbrands. She graduated summa cum laude from South Callaway High School in May. McKenzie will use the $2,000 scholarship towards her education at the University of Missouri, where she plans to pursue a degree in chemistry with a focus on pharmaceuticals.
“The idea of helping start a PFS scholarship became a challenge for me,” said Laughlin. “I wrote one more essay to (PFS Founder and CEO) Shawn Burcham, but in this one, I discussed the company culture and their tagline, ‘Our Support. Your Success.’”
Burcham presented Laughlin with the scholarship during the company’s monthly huddle meeting in June.
"The idea for this program was sparked by McKenzie," Burcham said. "The scholarship program is a new opportunity to support the children of our EOs as they pursue higher education or technical training. McKenzie took the initiative to share her vision, showing a true ownership thinking mindset that embodies the spirit of PFS. Her thoughtfulness and drive not only earned her the honor of being named our first-ever scholarship recipient but also laid the foundation for a legacy that will benefit many EO families for years to come."
Beginning in 2026, applications for the annual scholarship will be open to eligible dependents of employee-owners, with a submission deadline of March 31. Full program details and application materials will be available in January, and recipients will be announced each spring.
“This is more than just a scholarship. It’s a real expression of what we believe in: investing in people, supporting ownership at every level, and building a better future together,” he commented. “It certainly supports our core purpose of helping others to be more successful in both work and in life.”
