PRESIDENT OF IGA NORTH AMERICA RESIGNS

Duane Martin Leaves IGA To Pursue Lifelong Dream

CHICAGO, IL – IGA announced today that IGA North America President Duane Martin is leaving to pursue his lifelong dream of being an entrepreneur in grocery retailing and in other business ventures. Martin has established his own corporation, Martin Enterprises, INC., and plans to acquire several supermarkets in coming months, each of which will be converted to the IGA Banner.

"It was my grandfather's and father's entrepreneurial spirits, along with my wife's support, that inspired me to follow my dream," Martin said. "My position as president of IGA North America prepared me for the task. The friendships I have acquired through my job at IGA will last me a lifetime, and I'm excited about working with these same people as an IGA Retailer."

Martin joined IGA in January 1997 as vice president of retail. In late 1998, he took responsibility for directing IGA's global operations as vice president of IGA. Since then, Martin has successively held positions as senior vice president and executive vice president of IGA. Under his leadership, IGA launched an aggressive food safety and sanitation standards program for its North American stores. The program included the establishment of a Five-Star quality assessment, conducted annually by independent third party expert ASI Food Safety Consultants, Inc. Most recently, Martin was responsible for the creation of a regional marketing plan designed to improve communication among IGA retailers and maximize marketing potential.

Martin is a third-generation IGA retailer. His grandfather, Clyde Martin, joined the IGA family in 1952 when his Effingham, Ill., supermarket adopted the Banner. Today, Martin's father, Newlin Martin, owns and operates IGA stores in southern Ill.

"It has been my unique privilege to know and work beside three generations of Martins," said Dr. Thomas Haggai, Chairman and CEO of IGA. "Duane's passionate leadership and burning desire to improve the IGA system has been an inspiration to us all. I'm saddened to see him leave IGA, but pleased he will be remaining in our IGA family."

IGA, the only global supermarketer based in the United States, is the world's largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,400 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 37 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA ranks in the top 10 in world food supermarketing. IGA has operations in 48 states and 41 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.