Jan 8, 2001
      WASHINGTON, DC – January 8, 2001 - Mike Wright, chairman, CEO and president of SUPERVALU INC., joined 35 other corporate executives for a private meeting with President-elect George W. Bush. Wright was representing Food Marketing Institute (FMI) as its immediate past chairman. The exclusive talks, held in Austin last week, provided the nation’s top business leaders with an opportunity to share with Mr. Bush their views on the U.S. economy.

“This is a critical time for the country’s economic interests, with many key legislative and regulatory decisions to be determined under the leadership of a new administration and new Congress,” Wright commented. “I appreciate the opportunity to represent the food retail industry and its perspectives to President-elect Bush.”

Executives participating in the conference cited tax and regulatory burdens as being two of the greatest concerns to American businesses.

Chairman of FMI from 1997-99 and a current member of the FMI board of directors, Wright is a 23-year veteran of Minnesota-based SUPERVALU INC. – the nation’s largest food distributor. He is also a board member (and former chairman) of Food Distributors International (FDI) and a board member of both the Independent Grocers Association (IGA) and CIES, The Business Forum. Wright is a past chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Business Partnership.