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CONTACTS:
Sean McGirr, President FOR:
CONTACTS:
Ralph D. McRae, CEO LEADING
BRANDS AND CLIFFSTAR CORPORATION ANNOUNCE PRIVATE LABEL JUICE JOINT
VENTURE VANCOUVER, Canada, -- September 25, 2000—Leading Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: LBIX), Canada's largest independent, fully integrated food and beverage brand management company, and Cliffstar Corporation of Dunkirk, New York, today announced that they have entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture to expand and better service their private label juice customers across North America. This is the largest venture of its kind in North America. With
manufacturing plants in Dunkirk, New York, Joplin, Missouri, Fontana,
California and Greer, South Carolina and processing plants in Warrens,
Wisconsin, East Freetown Massachusetts and Fredonia, New York, Cliffstar
is the largest independent private label juice company in the United
States. Employing more than
1,000 people, the company has doubled in size over the past five years.
Cliffstar manufactures more than 145 quality corporate brand label fruit
juices and drinks for leading grocery customers throughout North America.
Cliffstar also buys grape, cranberry and apple fruit from over 500
independent growers. With
manufacturing plants in Vancouver, British Columbia and Edmonton, Alberta,
Leading Brands is the largest independent brand management company in
Canada. Leading Brands’
private label juice division produces for all of the major grocery chains
in its market area. Together,
Cliffstar and Leading Brands, create a formidable team that can provide
the highest quality research, product development, ingredients and
packaging found anywhere in North America.
This arrangement also allows the two companies to continue to
improve service levels by producing product closer to its ultimate market. Cliffstar
President Sean McGirr said, “This arrangement with Leading Brands
complements our plan to build a North American-wide business to service
the private label juice needs of our customers.
We have been working with Leading Brands now for some time and
believe that we will be able to effect a seamless integration of this
business.” Leading
Brands’ Chairman and CEO, Ralph McRae added: “This will provide us
with immediate access to business in the Northwest US where we have been
looking to actively expand our reach.
We will also be able to work closely with Cliffstar to expand our
mutual product offerings, capitalizing on each other’s considerable
experience. We are looking forward with great anticipation to this
relationship.” The
companies will also work closely together to combine their buying power to
their mutual advantage and further reduce costs. About Leading Brands, Inc.: Headquartered
in Richmond, B.C., Canada, Leading Brands, Inc.
is the largest independent food and beverage integrated brand management
company in Canada. The Company's unique Integrated Distribution System
(IDS) offers turnkey, one-stop shopping to food and beverage brand owners.
About
Cliffstar Corporation: Cliffstar
is the largest independent private label juice company in the United
States. It manufactures
quality corporate brand label fruit juices and beverages for leading food
service, grocery, wholesale and mass merchandise accounts throughout North
America.
NOTE: Any statements that are not historical facts contained in this release are forward-looking statements. It is possible that the assumptions made by management for purposes of such statements may not materialize. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements. Such statements may involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those relating to product demand, pricing, market acceptance, the effect of economic conditions, including currency fluctuations, intellectual property rights, and the outcome of competitive products, risks in product development, the results of financing effort, the ability to complete transactions, and other risks identified in this release and the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. |
