DAYVILLE, Conn., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- United Natural Foods, Inc.
(Nasdaq: UNFI) today announced that it's wholly-owned subsidiary, Albert's
Organics, Inc., has purchased the assets of privately held Boulder Fruit
Express (BFX), effective immediately. Based in Louisville, Colorado, BFX
provides high quality organic produce and perishables to a market area that
includes Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.
"We're extremely pleased to have the opportunity to partner with this
highly respected and well-established company," said Mr. Barclay Hope,
Albert's Organics President. "BFX has tremendous people and systems, and an
excellent record of customer service. Partnered with our rapidly growing
Denver division this acquisition will enable us to provide an even greater
breadth of services and value to our customers."
The Company noted that BFX's founder, Mr. Chris Webster, expects to remain
with the organization for a limited time to assist in the transition. Albert
Organic's expects to combine BFX and its' Denver operations within the next
year and operate the merged organization as Boulder Fruit Express, a member of
the Albert's Organics Family of Companies.
BFX has been in operation since 1977 and services a wide variety of
natural foods customers including Whole Foods and Wild Oats as well as mass
market customers including King Soopers, Safeway, and Albertsons. BFX
currently serves approximately 165 customers, 70 of which will be new
customers to Albert's Organics. BFX's annualized revenues are currently
$14 million, which are serviced from a 17,800 sq. ft. facility.
Albert's Organics is the nation's leading distributor of quality
organically grown produce and perishables. Albert's Organics has warehouse
centers in Los Angeles, California, Bridgeport, New Jersey, Winter Haven,
Florida and Denver, Colorado.
About United Natural Foods
United Natural Foods, Inc. carries and distributes over 30,000 products to
more than 7,000 customers nationwide. The Company serves a wide variety of
retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product
superstores and independent retail operators
For more information on United Natural Foods, Inc., visit the Company's
web-site at www.unfi.com .
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding United Natural's business
which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve
risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties,
which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, including but not limited to general business
conditions, the impact of competition and our dependence on principal
customers, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K
filed with the Commission on October 23, 2001, and its other filings under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any forward-looking statements
are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and,
as such, speak only as of the date made. United Natural is not undertaking to
update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective date of
its future reports required by applicable laws.
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SOURCE United Natural Foods, Inc.
CONTACT: Thomas Simone, Chairman of the Board of United Natural Foods,
Inc., +1-707-537-9872; or General, Joseph Calabrese, +1-212-445-8434, or
Analyst, Vanessa Schwartz, +1-212-445-8433, or Media, Judith Sylk-Siegel,
+1-212-445-8431, all of FRB Weber Shandwick/