IGA PRESENTS 2006 PRESIDENT’S CUP AWARDS

CHICAGO, IL - Four companies were chosen for the 2006 IGA President’s Cup awards. The awards were presented at 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.

The winners were chosen by a committee of food industry executives based on the companies’ performances throughout 2006. Included in the judging of these awards were 2006 membership growth and development, operational excellence and assessment rating, and IGA Brand product, image, and overall Alliance support.

The recipients are as follows:

Affiliated Foods Midwest—IGA President’s Cup for Greatest IGA Development; Affiliated Foods Midwest is a retailer-owned cooperative with distribution centers in Norfolk, Neb., and Elwood, Kan., which currently serves IGA retailers in 11 states.

Laurel Grocery Company—IGA President’s Cup for Overall IGA Performance; Laurel Grocery Company is a full-line food wholesaler that serves IGA Retailers in parts of Ga., Ind., Ky., Ohio, Penn., Tenn., and W.Va.

Houchens Industries, Inc.—IGA President’s Cup for Greatest IGA Brand Development; Houchens Industries is a multi-store supermarket and convenience retailer that flies the IGA Banner in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.

IGA >D Queensland was awarded the IGA President’s Cup for Greatest IGA International Development; IGA>D Queensland serves IGA Retailers in an area of more than 2500 square kilometers ranging from the far north of Queensland to northern New South Wales.

“IGA relies heavily upon its licensed distribution centers to provide our retailers with the goods and services they need to thrive in the competitive grocery industry,” IGA USA President, Chairman and CEO Mark Batenic said. “I would like to personally commend each of our 2006 President’s Cup awards award winners for their devotion to the IGA system.”

“It has been my privilege to work with IGA’s licensed distribution centers for nearly three decades now,” IGA Global President, Chairman and CEO Dr. Thomas Haggai said. “In the vision of our founder J. Frank Grimes, the three legs of the IGA stool, the authorized distribution centers, the preferred manufactures and the IGA licensed retailers, join together to form ‘an alliance to satisfy the consumer.’ IGA has held sacred Mr. Grimes statement that the customers’ wishes are our demands, and these four 2006 winners continually make it possible for us to live up to that mantra.”

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.