A Super(Market) Showdown: Top Grocery Baggers to Compete for National Title at 2011 Best Bagger Championship Presented by ConAgra Foods

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A championship atmosphere. A cheering crowd. Dreams of competing for the top title. It's not a football game, it's the Best Bagger Championship.

The nation's top grocery store baggers are heading to Las Vegas Feb. 14 to compete in the 2011 National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) Best Bagger Championship presented by ConAgra Foods. The competition will be held at The Mirage as part of the N.G.A.'s annual conference. The showdown begins at 3 p.m. PST.  

The final competitors, who beat out hundreds of other baggers from their respective states, will be rated on speed, bag-building technique, weight distribution between bags, style, attitude and appearance. A combination of jars, cans, boxes and loaves of bread will pose the challenge for each contestant as he or she races against the clock to bag the items the best way possible. After positive feedback following last year's event, eco-friendly, reusable bags will be used for the second year in a row.

For the second straight year, the involvement of ConAgra Foods means a generous prize pool for the winners. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000, the second place contestant will earn $5,000 and the third through fifth place winners will net $1,000 each.

"These competitors are hard-working, young professionals from locally owned grocery stores in each state," said Doug Knudsen, president of Sales, ConAgra Foods. "They are great examples of how many grocery stores are committed to customer service and this competition is a fun way to recognize and reward these baggers for their accomplishments."  

Twenty-one states are sending their top performers to vie for the title of the nation's best bagger. The 2011 N.G.A. Best Bagger Championship presented by ConAgra Foods competitors are:

• Alabama: Thang Nguyen, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
• California: Cody Calhoun, Nugget Market, Inc.
• Georgia: Roland Mattox, Quality Foods of Commerce, Inc.
• Indiana: Dave Smith, Martin's Super Markets
• Iowa: Jeremy Mescher, Fareway Stores, Inc.
• Kentucky: Brice Harris, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City)
• Massachusetts: Bryan Cramond, Stop and Shop
• Michigan: Mina Eskander, Martin's Super Markets
• Minnesota: Matt Medley, Lunds Food Holding, Inc.
• Missouri: Scott Hall, RPCS (Price Cutter)
• New Jersey: James Wilmott, Shop Rite of Hunterdon County
• New York: Constance Gaines, D'Agostino Supermarket
• Ohio: Tom Bergman, Dorothy Lane Market
• Pennsylvania: Kayla Wilson Giant Food Stores, LLC
• Rhode Island: Bonny Pride Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.
• Tennessee: Colby Morgan Kroger
• Utah: Andrew Hadlock, Macey's, Inc.
• Vermont: Krystal Smith, Hannaford Supermarket
• Virginia: Dylan Belcher, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City)
• Washington: Jessica Lewis, Yoke's Fresh Market
• Wisconsin: Stephanie Teteak, Larry's Piggly Wiggly

N.G.A. is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. Most independent operators are serviced by wholesale distributors, while others may be partially or fully self-distributing. Some are publicly traded but with controlling shares held by the family and others are employee owned. Independents are the true "entrepreneurs" of the grocery industry and dedicated to their customers, associates, and communities. N.G.A. members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about N.G.A. and the independent sector of the industry, see the N.G.A. website: www.NationalGrocers.org.

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's leading food companies, with brands in 97 percent of America's households. Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and many ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying potato, other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit the ConAgra Foods website at www.conagrafoods.com.

SOURCE ConAgra Foods, Inc.