IGA NAMES 2007 INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS OF THE YEAR

Roderick Rynke of Robinson IGA Receives Prestigious Global Award

CHICAGO, IL - Roderick Rynke, owner of Robinson IGA in Robinson, Ill., was named one of eight 2007 IGA International Retailers of the Year. Rynke, who was chosen from the more than 4,000 IGA Retailers worldwide, was presented with the award 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.

In addition to the award-winning Robinson IGA supermarket, Rynke owns three other IGA stores located in Oblong, Newton and Greenup, Ill. Rynke, who is a graduate of LaSalle-Peru high school and LaSalle-Peru-Oglesby Junior College (L-P-O Junior College), received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University.

“Rick Rynke is a passionate independent retailer who exemplifies IGA’s Hometown Proud image in both his commitment to his customers and the communities in which they reside,” IGA USA President, Chairman and CEO Mark Batenic said. “We are proud to have Rick as a member of our IGA Family.”

“My career as a grocery retailer has been a long and often complicated journey, but one for which I am grateful for every moment,” Rynke said. “I am extremely proud to accept this award on behalf of my entire family, who are truly the glue that holds our business together,” Rynke said.

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.