Thomas Frey and David Picarillo Named Senior Vice Presidents of Topco Associates LLC

Business Wire, April 4, 2008

SKOKIE, Ill. -- Topco Associates LLC announced that Thomas (Tom) G. Frey has joined Topco as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and that David (Dave) P. Picarillo has been promoted to Senior Vice President in charge of TopSource, Topco's not-for-resale program.

Frey will oversee Topco's accounting, Co$trac([R]), information technology, internal audit, and treasury areas. "We are pleased to welcome Tom to Topco," said Steven K. Lauer, Topco's President and Chief Executive Officer. "His knowledge and wealth of experience in the food industry, along with his financial expertise, will serve Topco and its members well as we strive to continue our solid record of success."

Prior to joining Topco, Frey served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dominick's Finer Foods. Previously, he held a variety of increasingly responsible positions with McCain Foods, USA; Deluxe Video Services, Inc.; The Quaker Oats Company; and Ernst & Young. Frey received a Bachelor of Science degree in commerce from DePaul University, an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a certified public accountant.

Picarillo became Vice President - TopSource in 2006 when BrainTree Sourcing, the predecessor company to TopSource, was acquired by Topco. "Dave's experience in the procurement of products and services, strategic planning, and general management has been instrumental in the successful expansion of our not-for-resale capabilities," said Lauer. "Under Dave's leadership, Topco will continue to provide effective purchasing services in hundreds of not-for-resale categories and help our members and customers achieve significant savings in today's increasingly competitive marketplace," Lauer added.

Picarillo brings more than 21 years of retail supermarket, consulting and management experience to his new position. Prior to joining BrainTree Sourcing in 2002, he was the Managing Director of Business Development for ICG Commerce and was a Senior Manager with Accenture. Picarillo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science degree in industrial engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Topco Associates LLC is an $8.8 billion, privately held company that provides innovative business solutions for its food industry member-owners and customers. Topco leverages the collective volume, knowledge and commitment of these companies to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace by reducing costs and offering winning business-building capabilities. Together, Topco members represent more than $113 billion in consumer sales and have thousands of stores across the country.