NEWS WATCH 1997-08-26

KING KULLEN WAREHOUSE EMPLOYEES last week voted unanimously to strike Aug. 31 unless the company agrees to preserve 120 union positions. The jobs are scheduled to be eliminated Sept. 30, as King Kullen, Westbury, N.Y., completes its previously announced transition to an outside wholesaler, Bozzuto's, Cheshire, Conn. A spokesman for King Kullen said the company will not reconsider its decision to eliminate the positions, and does not anticipate a disruption of service to its customers in the event of a strike.

tion since April. The vote, originally scheduled for Aug. 15, was postponed after Affiliated's creditors sought more time to reach agreement on the merger.

THE U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE has reopened for comment a proposed ruling that would require all frozen imported produce to carry a country-of-origin marking on the front panel of its retail package. Saying the issue continues to attract "significant interest," Customs will continue to accept comments, written in triplicate, until Oct. 17. Initially opened for comment in July 1996, the proposed requirement is meant to comply with a statutory requirement that the country-of-origin marking be located in a "conspicuous place." To submit comments, write the Regulations Branch, Office of Regulations and Rulings, U.S. Customs Service, Franklin Court, 1301 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229.

SALES FORCE COS., a food brokerage based in Wood Dale, Ill., has merged with Willson Marketing Co., Kansas City, Mo. The merger gives Sales Force Cos. an entry into the Kansas City; Wichita, Kan.; and Springfield, Mo., markets. The current Willson management team, headed by Norm Wagner, will remain in place.

ARDEN GROUP, the Los Angeles-based operator of 12 Gelson's and Mayfair supermarkets in southern California, said it completed its self-tender for up to 250,000 shares of its Class A common stock for cash at the rate of $65 per share. Approximately 212,600 shares were tendered in the offer.

DART GROUP, Landover, Md., said it will pay $52.4 million to three members of the Haft family in a settlement that would end their control of the company. Dart said the buyouts will be funded by $50 million of proceeds from a recent private placement of senior notes by its subsidiary, Shoppers Food Warehouse Corp., Lanham, Md. Also under the settlement, Dart founder Herbert Haft would retire from his positions as chairman of Dart and its three major subsidiaries: Shoppers Food Warehouse, Trak Auto Corp. and Crown Books Corp.

FLEMING COS., Oklahoma City, has sold the assets of its Nashville, Tenn., dairy division to Suiza Foods Corp., Dallas, for an undisclosed price. Suiza will operate the dairy as Country Delite Farms. The acquisition gives Suiza an entrance into the Tennessee market and a larger presence in the Southeast. The facility was Fleming's only dairy. A spokeswoman said Fleming made a strategic decision to deploy its resources differently.

CERTIFIED GROCERS OF CALIFORNIA, the Los Angeles-based member-owned cooperative, said it has doubled to 26 the number of jobs in its seven-week summer employment program for teenagers. The students work in a variety of departments at Certified and at member retail stores; Certified also said it is conducting lectures on careers in the grocery industry and on job search techniques to help students with career planning.

JIM MEISTER, president and chief operating officer of Kings Super Markets, West Caldwell, N.J., will receive the 1997 Food Council Committee for Good Government Award at the committee's annual Good Government Breakfast Sept. 30.