Topco Associates LLC Names Randall Skoda Executive Vice President

Business Wire, July 30, 2007

SKOKIE, Ill. -- Topco Associates LLC has promoted Randall (Randy) J. Skoda to Executive Vice President, with overall responsibility for Topco's Center Store, Perishables, Pharmacy and TopSource programs, as well as product and brand innovation. "Randy has been a key member of our management team since joining us in 2005. His leadership in the financial and in many non-financial areas of the business has been an important factor in our continued success," said Steve Lauer, President/CEO of Topco.

Prior to Topco, Skoda served as President of Old Town Partners, a professional services firm providing business and financial consulting services to privately-held companies; Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Sayers Group LLC; and Controller of Topco. His experience also includes various positions with KPMG where he served in their retail and distribution practices in Chicago, New York, and Amsterdam. Skoda, 45, earned degrees in Accounting and Finance from Baylor University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

"I firmly believe that by working together, Topco and our members can continue to build unique and new offerings that capitalize on our advantaged business system," said Skoda. "I welcome the prospect of working with our members in this new capacity to continue the growth and success of Topco and our member-owners."

Topco Associates LLC is a $7.3 billion, privately-held company that aggregates the purchasing power of its food industry member-owners and customers to procure a broad range of products and services. Topco leverages the volume, knowledge and commitment of its member companies to be the least cost and most effective provider of these goods and services. Topco member-owners have collective sales volume of more than $110 billion a year, second only to Wal-Mart in U.S. food industry sales.