Press Releases

(LOS ANGELES) — Directors at Unified Grocers, the largest retailer-owned wholesale grocery cooperative in the Western United States appointed Richard E. ("Dick") Goodspeed, a retired retail food industry executive and consultant, to serve on the Board of Directors for the remainder of the current term, which expires in mid-February, 2008. Goodspeed's appointment fills a vacancy that was created two months ago when directors voted to expand the size of the Board from 15 to 16 members.

"Dick Goodspeed is a recognized leader in the nation's food industry and brings a tremendous amount of experience and expertise to our Board of Directors," said Louis A. Amen, chairman of the board, Unified Grocers. "We look forward to Dick's counsel and contributions as our company continues to grow and expand throughout the Western United States."

An experienced executive who spent 45 years in all areas of retail management at some of the nation's largest and most successful retail grocery chains before retiring in 1998, Goodspeed has spent the last nine years working on consulting assignments for a variety of food retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, including Harris Teeter, Safeway, Haggen, Eagle Foods, Pillsbury, Potlach and Nabisco Brands. Prior to his consulting assignments, Goodspeed spent four years with the Vons Companies, Inc., the last of which he served as president and chief executive officer, 37 years in various management positions at Lucky Stores, the last eight of which were as president and chief operating officer (at American Stores Company), and four years at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, including a year as president, Family Mart Stores.

Throughout his career, Goodspeed has been an active participant in a number of food industry associations and community-based organizations, including serving as a director of the Food Marketing Institute, president of the Western Association of Food Chains and the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America, Bay Area Council. Goodspeed also was named Executive of the Year by the Food Industry Management Program, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California and presently serves as a director on a number of corporate boards, including Anthony International (Sylmar, CA) and Altierre (San Jose, CA).

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 $3 billion in sales during fiscal 2006, 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 the 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.

¹ As part of an initiative to strengthen its corporate brand and image in the marketplace, Unified Western Grocers recently changed its name and is now doing business as "Unified Grocers." The Company has begun to utilize Unified Grocers as its business name for nearly all purposes and expects to effectuate a legal name change after approval by its shareholders at Unified's next annual meeting in mid-February, 2008.