Food Lion Welcomes First Management Training Class
New Program Is Part of CIAA Partnership

SALISBURY, N.C. - Food Lion has selected the first class of its new management-training program for recent graduates of historically black colleges and universities.

The idea for the Food Lion "Retail Management Trainee Program," grew out of the company's decade-long relationship with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Since 1993, Food Lion has supported the CIAA and its member institutions: Bowie State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, North Carolina Central University, St. Augustine's College, St. Paul's College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.

The training program provides new graduates a year-long learning experience in the grocery retail business. Program participants will learn how the grocery supply chain works and how to become a successful Food Lion business manager.

The first program participants are:
• Lakishalla Adams from Raleigh. An accounting /CIS major at North Carolina Central University.
• Angela Beverly from Charlotte. A social work major at Johnson C. Smith University.
• Iris 'Courtney' Burch from Greenville, N.C. A mass communications major at Winston-Salem State University
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• Marcus Huitt from Catawba, N.C. A business/marketing major at Winston-Salem State.
• Sherman Riggsbee from Chapel Hill, N.C. A business major at Winston-Salem State.
• Robert Williams from Durham, N.C. A business major at North Carolina Central.

Upon completing the program and further training, the six will be assigned to store management positions, where they will gain additional knowledge and skills to build a career with the company. Each will have the opportunity to progress and move into other business units within the company, such as distribution center management, category management, finance, marketing, diversity, and human resources. The opportunities and direction taken at Food Lion will be up to the individual manager.

"Food Lion's partnership with the CIAA has given the company unique opportunities to support historically black colleges and universities in our operating area," said Natalie Taylor, Food Lion's vice president of diversity. "We've established two primary objectives for the Retail Management Trainee Program. First, we want to offer comprehensive training in all areas of grocery store operations, equipping our trainees with the necessary skills to become business managers. At the same time, we want to increase the number of college graduates trained for store management positions."

Food Lion is in the midst of a three-year sponsorship agreement with the CIAA. Food Lion is the exclusive food/retail sponsor at all CIAA events and in television advertising. In addition, Food Lion is the sole sponsor of the CIAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Food Lion's support benefits each CIAA institution. A large portion of the company's sponsorship dollars are designated as scholarship contributions and distributed equally to each campus.

Food Lion LLC., is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG). Food Lion operates more than 1,185 stores and employs 84,000 associates, delivering "Extra Low Prices" and service to its customers, in 11 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. Food Lion stores offer more than 24,000 different products.

Rich in history and heritage, the CIAA is the nation's oldest intercollegiate athletic conference of historically African-American institutions. The CIAA is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and competes at the Division II level. CIAA teams are grouped into Eastern and Western Divisions. The conference annually sponsors 13 men's and women's championships.