IGA NAMES 2007 INTERNATIONAL SUPERMARKET MANAGERS OF THE YEAR

Two Receive Prestigious Global Award

CHICAGO, IL - IGA has named two 2007 IGA International Supermarket Managers of the Year. 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.

The award is given annually to the IGA managers who best exemplify the spirit of IGA by providing leadership, inspiration and contributions to the IGA system throughout the year. A committee of food industry executives chose the winners from a pool of applicants submitted by IGA’s more than 4,000 domestic and international retailers. The judging criteria assesses virtually every aspect of the manager’s involvement in areas including sales, marketing events, brand support, ‘Hometown Proud’ commitment, employee development, and leadership.

The supermarket managers chosen for this prestigious award are:

Rick McElroy
Lake Region IGA, Hawley, Pa.
Bozzuto’s, Inc.

Peter Smith
Blaxland Supa IGA, NSW, Australia
IGA>D New South Wales Division

IGA USA President, Chairman and CEO Mark Batenic stressed the merits of IGA USA International Supermarket Manager Rick McElroy. “Lake Region IGA is fortunate to have Rick McElroy as a manager,” Batenic said. “Although Rick runs the day-to-day operations of the store with precision and thoroughness, his management style is both compassionate and thoughtful. Combine that with a commitment to ‘Hometown Proud’ personalized attention and community involvement, and you have a formula for success that merits International Supermarket Manager of the Year recognition.”

IGA Global President, Chairman and CEO Dr. Thomas Haggai also commended IGA’s international winner, Australian Peter Smith. “How pleased I am that the first occasion in which IGA supermarket manager Peter Smith was able to come to my native land was to be honored as an IGA International Supermarket Manager of the Year,” Haggai said. “His work hiring employees with disabilities is legendary in Australia, and an inspiration to us all.”

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.