FOR POTATO INDUSTRY TRADE PUBLICATIONS ONLY

USPB Retail Marketing Program
Receives Major Industry Award

DENVER—(January 17, 2008) For the fourth straight year, Progressive Grocer magazine, a nationally acclaimed grocery and supermarket publication, has recognized the United States Potato Board’s (USPB) Retail Marketing Program with a 2007 “Category Captain,” award in the Perimeter: Fixed /Variable Produce group.

The USPB’s “Best in Class” program shares this distinction with produce notables like Dole Fresh Vegetables, Fresh Express Bagged Salads, and Chiquita Fresh North America’s Ethnic Produce. Other well known recipients of the 2007 Category Captain for store perimeter merchandising include: General Mills, Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods and Sara Lee Food & Beverage.

The November 15 issue of Progressive Grower was completely devoted to recognizing the “Category Captains”. The entire features section, including contributions from columnists and specific departments, was devoted to the best in current category management practices, plus leadership and where the future of category management is likely to be headed.

What’s changing in the roles each industry segment plays and who holds the most power? What is being done to more effectively serve consumers? The answers will shape the future of both category management and the grocery industry.

Progressive Grocer will provide the USPB with a wide array of communications tools to inform the grocery industry of this prestigious honor bestowed upon the USPB Retail Marketing Program. “Category Captain” is not just a Progressive Grocer award, but an industry award based on retailer surveys and financials, demonstrating the outstanding success of the USPB Retail Program to better connect potatoes to today’s consumer—just another example of innovative marketing to increase the demand of US potatoes.

For more information on the USPB Retail Marketing Program, please contact Mac Johnson, USPB Vice President, Domestic Marketing, at macjohnson@uspotatoes.com.

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David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board -- Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.