<p>Unified Grocers has named Charlie's Produce as its exclusive partner in all produce categories for Unified's retail customers operating stores in the Northwest: Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The move is intended to enhance the overall produce offering available to Unified's customers in the Pacific Northwest.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We are proud to partner with Charlie's and look forward to leveraging our combined strengths and the many growth opportunities our new relationship provides. This new program enables our independent retailers to compete more effectively and differentiate their stores through a wide variety of quality, fresh produce. It also simplifies billing by consolidating statements and providing incentives for our retailers' continued purchases through Unified and Charlie's," said Bob Ling, President and Chief Executive Officer, Unified Grocers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The partnership will offer Unified customers in the Pacific Northwest access to over 5,500 fresh produce items available, as well as a broad assortment of specialty and prepared produce, floral and home meal replacement products.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Charlie's daily delivery service, which includes organic offerings, ensures that Unified's independent retail stores have the freshest produce available at all times. Independent SQF Certification of Charlie's processing facilities assures buyers that items are produced, processed and handled according to the high standards they expect. To better serve their customers' needs, Charlie's is also reinvesting in their business through significant expansions and/or remodels for their facilities in Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Anchorage.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Charlie Billow, Chief Executive Officer, Charlie's Produce, said, "At Charlie's, we pride ourselves on developing long term partnerships that are built on trust and guaranteed customer satisfaction. Combining the strength of the largest retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor in the western United States, with the largest produce company on the West Coast, creates a new innovative, dynamic force in the marketplace. We are confident that Unified and its retailers will prosper from our relationship and the high level of service and quality that have made Charlie's — and our customers — successful for more than 35 years."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The program will be in effect early this summer. Many of Unified's current produce employees will remain on Unified's staff — or may join Charlie's organization — to ensure continued customer satisfaction and excellent service to Unified's retailers. Unified will continue to service Cash & Carry stores in the Pacific Northwest from the company's Portland, Oregon produce facility.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.unifiedgrocers.com/EN/Pages/default.aspx" target="_new">Unified Grocers </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
