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Lisa Delisle Flynn named vice president at Welch's

(CONCORD, Mass.) – November 3, 2006 – Lisa Delisle Flynn has been named vice president of Human Resources and an officer of Welch's, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products.

Flynn joined Welch's in 1995 as the employee relations manager. She has held positions of increasing responsibility within the organization and prior to her being named a vice president was the director of human resources. Flynn is a 1980 graduate of Williams College.

She resides in Beverly, Mass., with her husband Dennis. She has three grown children – Tom, 23, Rob, 20, and Megan, 17.

Welch's Board Names Successor

(CONCORD, Mass.) – 10-26-06 – Welch's Board of Directors today named David J. Lukiewski, 53, to succeed Daniel P. Dillon as the Company's president and chief executive officer. Lukiewski also succeeds Dillon as one of the two Welch's executives on the 10-member Welch's board. Trey Wright, senior vice president, Finance, and chief financial officer, is the other.

Lukiewski joined Welch's in 1995 as vice president of Sales, a position he held until 2000 when he was named senior vice president of Sales. In 2003 he was appointed senior vice president, Global Sales & Marketing, the position he held before being named president and CEO. Lukiewski is the 13th president of Welch's, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products founded by Dr. Thomas B. Welch in 1869.

During his tenure as senior vice president, Lukiewski led Welch's corporate domestic sales and marketing and international organizations with responsibility for all customer and consumer activities. He helped to accelerate international market roll-outs in China, Mexico and the United Kingdom while introducing a number of new products and successfully refocusing the company's marketing efforts on its core business – purple grape juice made from Concord grapes. Those efforts and others have led to a 40% increase in sales volume since Lukiewski joined the company in 1995.

Prior to joining Welch's, Lukiewski held positions of increasing responsibility at Reckitt & Colman, a manufacturer and marketer of a variety of consumer products, and Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.

He graduated from the University of Scranton (Pa.) with a B.A. degree and received his M.B.A. from the Kotz Graduate School of Management, now affiliated with St. Thomas University in St. Paul., Minn. He is a native of Scranton, Pa., and currently resides in Westford, Mass., with his wife Gail. He has two grown children.

Dillon, 61, announced his retirement earlier this month at the company's Town Hall Forum before approximately 250 employees. Dillon joined Welch's in 1981 and became president and CEO in 1995. During his 25-plus years with Welch's, Dillon was responsible for establishing the company's new products program, key to Welch's business turnaround, growing the company from a declining $200 million business in 1981 to $600 million in fiscal year 2006. He re-energized the Welch's brand by broadening the product line, increasing advertising support, and successfully penetrating new channels of distribution. Today, Welch's is considered by many to be the most successful agricultural cooperative in the United States.

Welch's President & CEO To Retire

(CONCORD, Mass.) – October 16, 2006 – Daniel P. Dillon, president and CEO at Welch's, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products, announced today that he plans to retire at the end of October, 2006. Dillon, 61, joined the company in 1981. He was named president and CEO in 1995 after holding a number of progressively important positions within the company.

During his 25-plus years with Welch's, Dillon was responsible for establishing the company's new products program, key to Welch's business turnaround, growing the company from a declining $200 million business in 1981 to $600 million in fiscal year 2006. He re-energized the Welch's brand by broadening the product line, increasing advertising support, and successfully penetrating new channels of distribution. Today, Welch's is considered by many to be the most successful agricultural cooperative in the United States.

In the early 1990's, Dillon led Welch's acquisition efforts, overseeing several acquisitions, including Cascadian Farm, a leading organic food company – later sold to General Mills – and Welch's acquisition of BAMA Foods in 1994.

The Welch's Board of Directors will consider Dillon's replacement at its next meeting.

Exploring the Health Benefits of 100% Grape Juice

A company with a rich and colorful history, Welch's today is focused on research that explores the possible benefits associated with 100% grape juice made from Concord and Niagara grapes. In recent years, that research has pointed to links with improved cardiovascular and cognitive functions.

A study released in July 2006 also noted that Welch's purple grape juice made from Concord grapes ranks extremely high in antioxidant concentration, ranking second behind only blackberries among the more than 1,100 foods and beverages tested.

Click here to learn more about the antioxidant power of Welch's 100% Grape Juice!

International Markets

Long an American icon, Welch's these days is also making its presence known overseas.

That's largely due to the work of Welch's International division, which has developed market specific products to meet local and regional tastes. Its management team consists of sales and marketing professionals with a vast working knowledge of foreign markets. Partnering with several companies in successful global business ventures -- Calpis in Japan, Nong Shim in South Korea, to name just a few -- Welch's now provides many of the same products that are found in the United States to countries around the world.

With some 70-plus years of export experience, Welch's products are currently exported to more than 35 countries and territories. For more information, log onto Welch's International web site at www.welchsinternational.com.

Welch's products can currently be found in the following countries and territories:

Africa/Middle East: Israel, Kuwait, Nigeria

Asia/Pacific: Australia, China, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Saipan, Singapore, Taiwan

Caribbean/South America: Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Windward Islands

Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama

Europe: Netherlands, United Kingdom

North America: Canada

Welch's Supports Local Events, Organizations

Welch's takes pride in being a good corporate citizen, supporting a range of activities especially in those communities where its employees and growers live and work.

The following represent a small sampling of the activities supported by Welch's in recent years either through contributions or product donations [and sometimes both]: American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Big Brother, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Access Sports America, Dana-Farber Cancer Research, Erie County Diabetes Association, Junior Achievement, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Special Olympics, National Braille Press, Pan-Mass Challenge, United Negro College Fund, United Way, The American Heart Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society.

In many of these activities, Welch's employees and growers participate in local fundraising events and Welch's matches the amount of money raised through pledges.

Welch's has also been a long-time contributor to The Genesis Fund, a non-profit organization that provides funding for the specialized care and treatment of children born with genetic diseases, birth defects and mental retardation.

For nine years, Welch's has also participated in Project Bread's Walk for Hunger, a fundraising effort that has grown to more than 40,000 participants and raises money that provides meals through soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters to the needy in Massachusetts. Welch's is the official Snack Stop sponsor of the Walk.