GORDON FOOD SERVICE® SUBSIDIARY SIGNS PURCHASE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE IN LAND SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY

GRAND RAPIDS, MI, September 22, 2003 -- Gordon Food Service (GFS) announced today the signing of a purchase agreement to acquire land in Shepherdsville, KY for a new distribution center. GFS is working with the city of Shepherdsville and the state of Kentucky to expand its distribution network into the greater Louisville area. Gordon Food Service-ID Division will operate this new distribution center.

The proposed site for the company's new 300,000 square foot, fully automated distribution center is located off State Road 480, east of Interstate 65 in Bullitt County. Construction could begin as early as 2004 with a projected start-up in 2006.

In making the announcement, GFS Executive Vice President Jim Gordon said, "We are excited about this location. Not only does it position us geographically to better serve our customers in the region; it gives us a home in a community which shares our corporate culture and values. We are particularly pleased with the quality of people we see in the Shepherdsville area employee pool."

The distribution center will be equipped with the most advanced warehousing and distribution equipment available and is expected to employ over 200 full-time employees after two years of operation.

"Nothing energizes an industry or an economy like a qualified work force," stated Governor Patton. "By creating innovative partnerships with economic development agencies, research groups and the private sector we have created some of the top worker training programs in the nation. We're pleased that GFS has recognized the asset we have in our workforce."

The Shepherdsville facility will be the company's seventh distribution center in the United States and its second in Kentucky. Currently, GFS has distribution centers in East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Grand Rapids and Brighton, Michigan, Springfield, Ohio, Martin, Tennessee and Miami, Florida.

Gordon Food Service, founded in 1897, is North America's largest family-owned and managed broadline foodservice distributor. GFS is a multi-billion-dollar international corporation offering more than 14,000 GFS and nationally branded, specialty and exclusive products to over 30,000 customers in 10 states within the U.S. and throughout Canada. The company also operates 95 GFS Marketplace retail stores. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.gfs.com.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state. New business investment in Kentucky in 2002 totaled more than $3.2 billion with the creation of nearly 13,000 new jobs. Information on available development sites, workforce training, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other resources is available at www.thinkkentucky.com.