Minnesota-Based Food Distributor Opens Facility in Columbus

ATLANTA, December 17, 2009 —The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced today that the Nash-Finch Company, based in Edina, Minnesota, is opening a distribution center in Columbus that will serve military commissaries and exchanges in the Southeast.  MDV, the military division of the Nash-Finch Company, will operate the Columbus facility.  This project represents a $20 million investment in the first three years of operation.
'In a state known for its twelve active military installations and commitment to service personnel and their families, Georgia is proud to be the new home of this MDV facility that will allow commissaries to better serve families at Fort Benning and beyond,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  'I join the Columbus community in celebrating the opening of this new distribution facility, and look forward to the positive economic impact for this area.'

The new MDV Columbus distribution center will be housed in a 400,000-square-foot facility, and is scheduled to begin distribution in the latter half of 2010.

'Our purpose at MDV is to serve our armed service heroes and their families, whether at home or abroad, by supplying products needed by the military to provide one of their most important benefits – the commissary,' stated Ed Brunot, President and Chief Operating Officer of MDV.

Brunot continued, 'This new Columbus distribution center complements our military distribution centers in the Southeast, allowing us to better serve the commissaries in that region.  We look forward to joining the Columbus business community and hope to be able to add members of the Fort Benning community to our MDV family of associates.  We appreciate the efforts of the City, the Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce, whose assistance was invaluable in making this acquisition a reality.'

'Nash-Finch is an exciting addition to our community,' said Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington. 'The new jobs being created will provide the region with new opportunities at a time when job growth has been tight. Congratulations and thank you for choosing Columbus as the home of your new facility.'

'Today's announcement is exciting for our region,' concluded Russ Carreker, chair of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, 'Today is a good example of what team work can accomplish. In the latest Manpower survey, Columbus MSA was number one in the country for job outlook in first quarter 2010. Projects like today will keep us on top of the chart. Columbus is on a roll. We look forward to seeing this project succeed.'   The Columbus Chamber of Commerce joined with other community partners to help bring the MDV distribution center to the area. Annie Baxter, project manager for the GDEcD, assisted with this project.

About Nash-Finch

Nash-Finch is a Fortune 500 company and one of the leading food distribution companies in the United States. Nash-Finch's core business, food distribution, serves independent retailers and military commissaries in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Europe, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Azores and Egypt. The Company also owns and operates a base of retail stores, primarily supermarkets under the Econofoods®, Family Thrift Center®, AVANZA®, Family Fresh Market® and Sun Mart® trade names. Further information is available on the Company's website, www.nashfinch.com.

About GDEcD

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.