NORWALK, Conn., January 10, 2005 – For the fourth year in a row, Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned fresh food store with locations in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y., has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. The company placed at No. 29 on the 2005 list. For the first time, companies are also listed by their size -- large, mid-sized, and small. Stew Leonard’s, a small company with less than 2,000 employees, is ranked No. 15 in comparison to other small companies that also made the list.

“We can not be more thrilled or proud of our team members for this achievement. Stew Leonard’s can do our part and offer great pay and benefits, training and support for our employees, but the secret ingredient is the teamwork, positive attitude and commitment of our people,” said Stew Leonard, Jr., president and CEO of Stew Leonard’s. “They consistently create a fun work environment, where everyone is on a first name basis, is respected and genuinely loves what they do. Happy people, means happy customers, and our Team Members are a huge reason why we have been successful as a company for 35 years.”

What Gets Rewarded Gets Repeated

“We have a motto at Stew Leonard’s that says ‘what gets rewarded, gets repeated.’ One of our priorities is to make sure that our team members are recognized and rewarded for their contributions, whether through a ‘Moo Note” from their manager, which provides instant recognition and entitles them to a free lunch, or through special awards, such as our Super Star of the month or the ABCD award, which stands for Above and Beyond the Call of Duty,” said Jill Tavello, executive vice president of culture and communication. “We’ll also be throwing a big party for our team members to celebrate making the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the fourth straight year. We are all very excited and honored, and this is another way to recognize our team members for the great job they do every day.”

“I love what I do. It gives me a sense of accomplishment,” said Izzy Ravah, who is part of the Norwalk food demo department, has been a team member for two years and was a recent recipient of an ABCD award. “It feels great to be able to serve the customers and get acknowledged for a job well done.”

A Business of Families

“We don’t look at ourselves as a family business. Instead, we look at ourselves as a business of families,” said Stew Leonard, Jr., president and CEO of Stew Leonard’s. “In fact, nearly 30 percent of all team members have a family member working in one of our stores, and this family caring atmosphere permeates the culture of our company.”

Tom Anrico, executive director of fresh products, has been a Stew Leonard’s Team Member for 28 years. He realized that Stew Leonard’s was more than just a great place to work, especially after his son was born in 1990 with a heart valve defect.

“We had just learned my newborn son had to have open heart surgery. It happened during the busiest time of the year for the store, right before Thanksgiving, and I was overseeing the entire Christmas shop,” recalls Tom. “Stew told me not to worry about taking the time off and to not rush back, that everything would be O.K. Not only did I not have any vacation time left, but for the entire month I was out, Stew Leonard’s continued to pay me. That’s when I realized this was a company that truly cares about family.”

Team Members also pull together to help other team members in times of need. Alice Jennings, a recent retiree, had a son who was returning from an overseas military assignment. He was going to be stationed in California and could not return home to Connecticut for several more months. Alice, who is a single parent of four, could not afford to fly out to California to see her son. When this was discovered, a team member passed the word and within 24 hours more than 400 team members had contributed enough money to send Alice on a trip to California to visit with her son.

We Grow Our Own

Stew Leonard’s believes in giving every team member the opportunity to grow within the company and further their career. In fact, 87 percent of managers have been promoted from within the company. Stew Leonard’s calls this “Mooving Up the Ladder” and provides every team member with extensive training and opportunities for job advancement.

“This company gives you great opportunity to grow as far as you wish. I started in the Norwalk store, moved to the Danbury store and now I am running the Wine Shop in Farmingdale. I have grown as a person as well as a manager,” said Doug Zucker, Stew Leonard’s team member for 18 years.

Stew Leonard’s began as a small dairy store founded in Norwalk, Conn. in 1969 with just seven employees. Today, Stew Leonard’s is still family-owned and operated, but has grown to become a nearly $300 million dollar business with 2,000 employees. The company has received worldwide acclaim for excellence in customer service and quality and was named among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the last four consecutive years. In addition to the original store in Norwalk, Conn., Stew Leonard’s has stores in Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY., with a fourth store planned for 2005 in East Farmingdale, N.Y. For more information, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.