
Dole Fresh Vegetables Receives Two Distinguished Progressive Grocer Awards
Westlake Village, CA - November 15, 2006
Dole Fresh Vegetables Company, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Inc. today announced that the Progressive Grocer magazine has bestowed top honors to Dole Fresh Vegetables with two distinguished awards, the Category Captains and All Star Awards.
The Progressive Grocer is the leading trade magazine for the food and beverage industry, and their annual award contest recognizes the best and most innovative companies in Category Management.
Dole Fresh Vegetables' consumer-focused salad packaging design, extensive research and development, and national marketing campaign were all factors for the Category Captains Award in the Fixed/Variable Produce- Packaged Salads category. The award is the highest mark of distinction presented by the magazine.
"Dole Fresh Vegetables delivered another year of innovation and category driving tactics to improve performance for 2006 in the packaged salads category," said Progressive Grocer's award judges. "Dole identified core salad consumer needs and incorporated them into the design process."
On the 10th Anniversary of the magazine's Category Captain Awards, Dole Fresh Vegetables also received the All Star Award for Consistent Category Management Excellence in the salad category. Dole Fresh Vegetables has been recognized with the Category Captain award eight times in the past 10 years.
"These awards highlight the food and beverage industry's leaders in Category Management and we're honored to be recognized with these awards," said Julie Poduch, Vice President of Marketing, Research and Development.
Multiple factors were taken into the judging process, including creativity in merchandising, marketing, promotion and advertising; innovative category management tools; and demonstrated commitment to meeting retail customers' specific needs.
In September, the magazine ran an annual Editors' Picks new products award contest, choosing the best new products among a wide range of categories. Dole Fresh Vegetables received an award for the Company's line of "Selections of the Seasons" salads which includes Fall Harvest, Spring Garden, Summer Salad and Winter Medley.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2005 revenues of $5.9 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
This release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "intends" and similar expressions. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises and security risks in developing countries; international conflict; and quotas, tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the factors that could affect Dole's financial results is included in its SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.