Kroger Honored

CINCINNATI -- For the third consecutive year, The Kroger Co. has been named one of America's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Business Ethics, a national publication that monitors corporate social responsibility.

Kroger ranked 99th on the list, which honors companies that do the best job of serving seven groups: employees; stockholders; customers; women and minorities; the community; the environment; and overseas stakeholders. Kroger was the only U.S. grocery company selected for the list this year.

The magazine analyzed a variety of data -- including volunteer and community activities, philanthropy, workforce diversity, employee benefits and safety issues -- at 650 U.S. companies.

"It is an honor to be recognized among the most socially responsible companies in America, particularly in light of the stricter criteria used by the researchers this year," said Joseph Pichler, Kroger chairman and CEO. "This award reflects the strong emphasis that Kroger has always placed on community involvement through charitable giving, volunteer work by our associates, and our support of schools, civic causes and hunger relief programs."

Kroger operates approximately 800 convenience stores and 2,400 supermarkets, including 227 supermarket fuel centers.