Posted 02-16-10 - ARLINGTON, VA - The National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) is pleased to announce that Kyle Perry of Martin's Super Markets in Osceola, Indiana is the winner of the 2010 Best Bagger National Championship.  The contest sponsored by ConAgra Foods, Inc. was emceed by Phil Lempert the N.G.A. SupermarketGuru and food editor for the NBC's Today Show, held on February 11, 2010 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, at the 2010 N.G.A. Annual Convention and Supermarket Synergy Show.

The Best Bagger National Championship is a year-long, nationwide program in which the best-of-the-best grocery baggers in the country compete for great prizes and the title of America's Best Bagger. Contestants are judged on speed, bag-building technique, weight distribution between bags, and style, attitude and appearance.  As the winner, Perry takes home "bagging rights" as well as the $10,000 grand prize, the coveted "Golden Grocery Bag" trophy and the Pan-Oston "Best Bagger Golden Lane" for his organization.

This year's winners are:

• Winner - Kyle Perry, Martin's Super Markets, Indiana
• First Runner Up - Danny Goodwin, J.H. Harvey Co., LLC, Georgia
• Second Runner Up - Andrew Hadlock, Maceys, Inc., Utah
• Third Runner Up - David Williams, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City), Kentucky
• Fourth Runner Up - Arcola Pointer, D'Agostino Supermarkets, Inc., New York

The second place winner received a prize of $5,000 and 3rd - 5th places received a prize of $1,000 each.  This year's competition also made a change in the type of bags used within competition, switching from paper and plastic to reusable bags. This was in response to the increase in consumer popularity of reusable bags around the country.  

Twenty three states were represented at this year's Best Bagger National Championship, a group that N.G.A. Executive Vice President, Frank DiPasquale says was representative of the collective spirit and work ethic of the baggers across the country. "With this competition, we aim to celebrate the bagger and the independent retailer. Watching the baggers compete with such enthusiasm, year after year, continues to reaffirm their commitments to this industry," said DiPasquale.

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 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.