(LOS ANGELES) — Unified Grocers (“Unified” or the “Company”), the largest wholesale grocery distributor in the western United States, announced today that Unified’s Board of Directors has appointed Christine Neal to the position of Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer. Neal will continue to report to Richard Martin, executive vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer.
“Christine has been a pivotal part in Unified’s overall strategic planning, business development and growth, said Al Plamann, president and chief executive officer, Unified Grocers. “Over the past several years, she has played a leading role in the negotiation and management of the Company’s lines of credit, the results of which ensured Unified’s capacity to finance our Stockton, Calif. distribution center expansion and the acquisition of Associated Grocers, Inc. (Seattle, Wash.). Recently Christine negotiated additional bank participation in Unified’s credit lines, which gives the Company financial strength for new opportunities.”
Neal has served as Treasurer since joining Unified in 2003. She is responsible for strategic planning activities and also manages the Company’s capital structure, which includes lending arrangements and shareholders’ equity, as well as overseeing the Cash Management, Tax and Payroll departments. In addition to her current responsibilities, Neal is establishing a centralized risk oversight function on a company-wide basis.
Prior to joining Unified, Neal acquired a wide range of financial experience within the food industry, including serving for several years as a financial consultant to Unified Grocers. She also served as Chief Financial Officer for the California Restaurant Association, the largest state restaurant and hospitality trade organization in the United States and was Controller for Gelson’s Markets, a premier upscale retail grocery chain in Southern California. Neal began her career at the Cincinnati office of Arthur Young, where she worked for eight years as an accountant and audit manager.
Neal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy and Finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
About Unified Grocers, Inc.
Founded in 1922, Unified Grocers, Inc. is a retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the western United States. Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $4.1 billion in sales during fiscal 2008, offer independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in the supermarket industry.
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to benefits expected to be derived from the proposed acquisition. There are a variety of factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements above. These factors are outlined in Unified's Form 10-Q and other interim reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Furthermore, Unified undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.