LOS ANGELES — Directors of Unified Western Grocers, Inc., the largest retailer-owned wholesale grocery cooperative in the Western United States, elected Louis A. Amen, President, Super A Foods, Inc., Los Angeles, as Chairman of the Board in conjunction with the Company's Annual Shareholders' Meeting, held Feb. 15, 2005 in Cerritos, Calif.

Amen, who served as Unified's Chairman of the Board from 1999 to 2004, succeeds Kevin Davis, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bristol Farms Markets, Carson, Calif., who did not continue as a Director.

Directors also elected Peter J. O'Neal, President, White Salmon Foods, Inc., Estacada Foods, Inc. and Novato Foods, Inc., Estacada, Ore., First Vice Chairman, and re-elected Richard L. Wright, President, Wright's Foodliner, Inc., Eugene, Ore., Second Vice Chairman.

In addition to Amen, O'Neal and Wright, other individuals elected by shareholders to serve on Unified's Board were:

• David M. Bennett, Co-owner, Mollie Stone's Markets, Mill Valley, Calif.

• John Berberian, President, Berberian Enterprises, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.

• Dieter Huckestein, President, Hotel Operations, Owned and Managed Hilton Hotels, Beverly Hills, Calif.

• Darioush Khaledi, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, K.V. Mart Co., Carson, Calif.

• John D. Lang, President and Chief Executive Officer, Epson America, Inc., Long Beach, Calif.

• Jay McCormack, President and chief Executive Officer, Rio Ranch Markets, Glen Avon, Calif.

• Douglas A. Nidiffer, President and Chief Executive Officer, C&K Markets, Inc., Brookings, Ore.

• Michael A. Provenzano, Jr., President, Pro & Son's, Inc., President, Provo, Inc., President, Pro & Family, Inc., Ontario, Calif.

• Tom Sayles, Vice President, Governmental and Community Affairs, Sempra Energy, San Diego, Calif.

• Mimi R. Song, President and Chief Executive Officer, Super Center Concepts, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

• Robert E. Stiles, President, Gelson's Markets, Encino, Calif.

• Kenneth Ray Tucker, President, Evergreen Markets, Inc., Greenville, Calif.

All 15 directors on Unified's Board were elected to one-year terms.

Unified Western Grocers, Inc., is a retailer-owned grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the Western United States.  Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $3 billion in sales during the 2004 fiscal year, offer independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in the supermarket industry.