IGA NAMES 2007 INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS OF THE YEAR

Gary and Terrie Baker of Baker’s IGA Receive Prestigious Global Award

CHICAGO, IL - Gary and Terrie Baker, owners of Coshocton, Ohio-based Baker’s IGA, were chosen to receive the 2007 IGA International Retailer of the Year awards from the more than 4,000 IGA Retailers worldwide. The awards were presented during the IGA International Retailers of the Year Awards Dinner Ceremony, held during the IGA Global Summit on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Marriott’s Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla.

A committee of food industry executives chose the winners from a pool of applicants submitted by IGA’s Licensed Distribution Centers. Criteria for judging included IGA operational assessment rating, involvement in the IGA 2006 80th anniversary marketing event program, IGA Brand support, merchandising, leadership and innovation, “Hometown Proud” community involvement and employee development.

Gary is a third generation grocery retailer who grew his grandfather and father’s small Freeport market into a four store group serving central Ohio. In addition to the award-winning Baker’s IGA in Coshocton, Gary and Terrie Baker own Baker’s IGA supermarkets in Newcomerstown, Scio, and Freeport, Ohio. Currently the Baker’s store group employs approximately 150 store employees, as well as eight office staff in their Coshocton-based central office.

“Terrie and I are humbled that such an honor has been given to us,” Gary Baker said. “We couldn’t more proud, and we’d like to thank our employees and loyal customers for their support. Certainly we couldn’t have been named IGA International Retailers of the Year without their help.”

“We at IGA are extremely proud to recognize this dynamic retailing couple for their contributions to the IGA system and the central Ohio communities they serve,” IGA USA President, Chairman and CEO Mark Batenic said. “These retailers have embraced IGA’s ‘Hometown Proud’ philosophy as a way of life, serving their customers and communities with the personalized care that is the hallmark of IGA.”

IGA 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 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has operations in 44 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.