Longo's Company Growth and Employee Talent Earn Them Platinum Club Status for Sixth Consecutive Year

Engagement and Innovation Keys to Longo's Success

TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - Longo's is proud to announce their designation as a Platinum Club Member of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies for their sixth consecutive year. Longo's unique combination of progressive thinking and traditional values continue to define Longo's place as one of Canada's most successful and well managed businesses.

"A hallmark of Longo's success has been the exponential growth the company has seen over the past five years. We now operate 26 stores in the GTA, with another store opening in Oakville this spring. Like Maple Leaf Square and Leaside, our new Oakville location will feature a Corks restaurant and bar. Corks is one of the ways we're creating a more dynamic offering to our customers and stretching the typical boundaries of the grocery shopping experience. Company growth, team member engagement, and progressive thinking continue to be at the core of Longo's business strategy," says Anthony Longo, President and CEO.

A key innovation for Longo's over the past year was the release of their Grocery Gateway mobile app. Grocery Gateway, owned and operated by Longo's since 2004, is the leader in online sales of home delivered groceries in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe. In 2012, Longo's released an app for this service, enabling customers to easily create orders on-the-go. The app was awarded one of the best new mobile apps of 2012 by Apple Inc.

With the knowledge that great companies have the best employees, Longo's created a position within the company - that of Director of Culture and Community. This role was established to uphold the legacy of family culture as the company continues to grow and to encourage employees to achieve their very best at work. To further these efforts, Longo's also launched a scholarship program administered through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada for Longo's team members and their children. By providing employees with learning opportunities to improve their expertise, Longo's maintains a competitive edge by retaining highly-skilled employees who possess a passion for food and who have a genuine interest in providing the best experience for Longo's customers.

Just as Longo's sees the importance of giving opportunity to their employees, they also recognize the importance of giving back to the communities they serve. Longo's is involved in more than a dozen not-for-profit organizations and donates approximately 3% of pre-tax profits as part of their charitable giving and sponsorship programs. By making these contributions, Longo's devotion to inspiring healthy families to ensure the health of the communities they serve will be sustained for years to come.

About Canada's Best Managed Companies

Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed private companies with revenues over $10 million. Every year, since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on four levels: 1) Best Managed winner (one of the 50 new winners selected each year); 2) Requalified member (repeat winners retain the Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review); 3) Gold Standard member (winners that retain the Best Managed designation for 4-6 consecutive years); 4) Platinum Club member (winners that maintain Best Managed status for a minimum of six consecutive years). Program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC, National Post and Queen's School of Business.

Best Managed has launched an online community for private companies: a new Best Managed channel on the Financial Post (FP) Executive site. A collaborative effort by Deloitte, CIBC and FP Executive, the new micro-site is aimed at showcasing Best Managed insights and celebrating the stars of Canada's private company stage. For further information, visit www.canadas50best.com.

About Longo's

A family-owned organization, Longo's first opened its doors in Toronto in 1956 and now boasts 26 stores across the GTA, employing more than 4,600 team members.  Inspired by their Founders and their commitment to a Fresh Tradition, the Longo's team of food experts is dedicated to exceeding customer expectations by offering the best food experience at a great value to every customer, every time by providing Fresh & Unique Offerings, Everyday Foods & Groceries, Services for Ease and Education and ideas.

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SOURCE: Longo's

Sarah Laister
Mansfield Communications
[email protected]
416 919 1209