(LOS ANGELES) — Directors of Unified Western Grocers, Inc., the largest retailer-owned wholesale grocery cooperative in the Western United States, elected Edmund Kevin Davis, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bristol Farms Markets, Carson, Calif., as Chairman of the Board in conjunction with the Company's Annual Shareholders' Meeting, held here Feb. 17, 2004.
Davis, who was First Vice Chairman of Unified's Board during the immediate past fiscal year, succeeds Louis A. Amen, Chairman, Super A Foods, Los Angeles. Amen, Chairman of Board since Unified was formed in late 1999, remains a director of the Company.
Directors also elected John Berberian, President, Berberian Enterprises, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., First Vice Chairman, and re-elected Richard L. Wright, President, Wright's Foodliner, Inc., Eugene, Ore., as Second Vice Chairman.
In addition to Davis, Berberian, Wright and Amen, other individuals elected by shareholders to serve on Unified's Board are:
- David M. Bennett, Co-owner, Mollie Stone's Markets, Mill Valley, Calif.
- Dieter Huckstein, President, Hotel Operations, Owned and Managed, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Beverly Hills, Calif.
- Darioush Khaledi, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, K.V. Mart Co., Carson, Calif.
- John D. Lang, President and Chief Executive Officer, Epson America, Inc., Long Beach, Calif.
- Jay McCormack, President and CEO, Rio Ranch Markets, Glen Avon, CA
- Douglas A. Nidiffer, President and Chief Executive Officer, C&K Market, Inc., Brookings, Ore.
- Peter J. O'Neal, President, White Salmon Foods, Inc. and Estacada Foods, Inc., Estacada, Ore.
- Michael A. Provenzano, President, Pro & Son's, Inc., President, Provo, Inc. and President, Pro & Family, Inc. Ontario, Calif.
- Thomas S. Sayles, Vice President. Governmental and Community Affairs, Sempra Energy, San Diego, Calif.
- Mimi R. Song, President and Chief Executive Officer, Super Center Concepts, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
- Robert E. Stiles, President, Gelson's Markets, Encino, Calif.
Kenneth R. Tucker, President, Evergreen Markets, Inc., Greenville, Calif.
All 16 directors on Unified's Board are elected to one-year terms.
Unified Western Grocers, Inc. is a retailer-owned grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the Western United States. Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $2.8 billion in sales during the 2003 fiscal year, 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.