
Dole Food Company, Inc. Organizes Special Committee
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California - September 27, 2002
Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOL) today announced that it has designated a special committee of its Board of Directors to act on behalf of the Company in respect of the acquisition proposal made by David H. Murdock on September 22, 2002 and any transaction that may eventuate therefrom. The special committee consists of the five members of the Board of Directors who are not, and have not been, officers or employees of the Company, and will be chaired by Richard M. Ferry. The special committee has engaged Goldman, Sachs & Co. as its financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as legal counsel.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2001 revenues of $4.5 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers, and markets a growing line of packaged goods.