LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mollie Stone's, a chain of nine supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area, was the recipient of the 2012 "Ben Schwartz Retail Grocery Visionary Award" from Unified Grocers at its EXPO food show on June 19, 2012 in Long Beach, California. This is the eighth consecutive year that Unified has presented the award to an outstanding independent retailer.
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The "Ben Schwartz Retail Grocery Visionary Award," named after a former chairman of the Board of Unified Grocers who is nationally recognized as a retail visionary, is an honor given annually to an independent retail grocer or grocery company that is a leader and innovator in the retail grocery industry. The award recognizes retailers who, by their practice and example, have consistently demonstrated initiative, creativity and leadership within their businesses and, in the process, have inspired others to think and act creatively and with passion in the grocery field. To be eligible, retailers must be — or have been — a member of Unified Grocers or one of its predecessor companies.
In presenting the award, Al Plamann, chief executive officer, Unified Grocers, said that in addition to being an outstanding progressive retailer, Mollie Stone's thrives because its owners — Dave Bennett and Mike Stone — have a simple four-word recipe for success: growth, innovation, commitment and passion.
"The passion toward customers and retailing is clearly evident as you walk through their stores," Plamann said. "Every aisle is neat and immaculate, produce is stacked perfectly and also in a way that accents its bright colors; the meat, seafood and bakery departments feature artwork-like displays of mouthwatering products that are literally begging to be purchased; and a fully-stocked wine department includes well-trained experts and helpful information that enables you to make the right selection or pair it with the food you've purchased. Innovation and quality are central to the success of Mollie Stone's and that's why their customers come back to their stores year after year after year."
Early on, Dave Bennett and Mike Stone made a commitment to healthy foods, including natural and organic products, long before it was acceptable. They did it not because it was fashionable, but because it was "the right thing to do," in Mike's words.
In accepting the 2012 Ben Schwartz Award, Dave and Mike also thanked their employees — many of whom attended the event — and gave them credit for much of the success the company has enjoyed over the years.
In addition to the award that was presented to Mollie Stone's, a duplicate of the "Ben Schwartz Retail Grocery Visionary Award" is on permanent display in the lobby of Unified's headquarters building in Commerce, Calif. A plaque recognizing Mollie Stone's as the 2012 winner has been added to the permanent award.
Founded in 1922, Unified Grocers is a retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the western United States. Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $3.8 billion in sales during fiscal 2011, offer independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in the supermarket industry.
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Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements about the future performance of Unified Grocers based on Management's assumptions and beliefs in light of information currently available to it. There are a variety of factors that could cause actual and future results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made above. These factors are outlined in the Company's Form 10-K 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.
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