CASTLE ROCK, CO--(Marketwire - April 2, 2008) -
-- Partnership Offers Consumers an Easily Recognizable, Third-Party
Verified Option for Meat Products Born and Raised in the United States
-- Agreement Positions IMI's Customers to Comply with Federal Country of
Origin Labeling (COOL) Legislation That Mandates Labeling of Meat at
Domestic Retail Locations
Integrated Management Information, Inc. (IMI Global) (
OTCBB:
INMG), a
leading provider of verification and Internet solutions for the
agricultural/livestock industry, today announced it has signed an agreement
to become the exclusive worldwide marketer of the trademarked "Born &
Raised in the USA®" label. The agreement puts IMI Global in a strong
position to lead the industry move toward mandatory labeling of all meat
products to identify the country of origin. There are 87 billion pounds of
meat produced in the United States annually.
Under terms of the 2002 Farm Bill, retailers nationwide must display on
their packaging a label identifying the country of origin (COOL) for meat
products, including beef, pork, lamb and fish, starting in the fall of
2008. The Born & Raised in the USA® label, currently being used on a
voluntary basis and appearing on products in selected retail stores,
provides retailers, processors and producers a streamlined and proven
third-party verification program as well as a means of supporting and
promoting domestic meat products.
"With the deadline for domestic retailers to begin displaying country of
origin labeling fast approaching, this agreement is both timely and
potentially one of the most important partnerships IMI Global has been a
part of," said John Saunders, president and CEO of IMI Global. "We believe
the Born & Raised in the USA® label, backed by IMI's third-party
verification systems, will find broad acceptance among domestic packers and
retailers who are subject to this mandate beginning later this year. The
brand, which includes a prominently displayed American flag, is a
compelling visual that we believe will appeal to packers and retailers
while giving consumers a simple and recognizable label to identify a
product exclusively born, raised and processed in the USA. IMI Global is a
national standard setter in the field of third-party verification services
and we have been providing food verification systems since 1995 to
producers through to retailers and have developed over 60% of all USDA PVP
and QSA programs in the United States. As a result, we are ideally
positioned to promote this label, as well as provide COOL compliance for
our customers. Our goal is to make Born & Raised in the USA® the
industry standard."
Saunders said the Born & Raised in the USA® label program was developed
more than seven years ago by Carolyn Carey, founder and president of Born &
Raised in the USA®, who foresaw the industry's direction and remained
committed for several years before country of origin labeling became a
reality.
Carey added that IMI Global was an obvious choice as exclusive marketing
partner. "IMI Global is a highly respected verification organization with
extensive experience, a blue chip customer base and a strong track record
working with the USDA," she said. "We're excited about the opportunity to
roll out Born & Raised in the USA® to packers and retailers nationwide
and provide them an easily workable COOL solution at no additional cost to
the cow-calf producer."
A longtime customer for Born & Raised in the USA® is Western Grasslands,
Inc., dba Panorama Meats, Inc.
www.PanoramaMeats.com, producers of Panorama
Natural Grass-Fed Beef™ and Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Beef™. Based
in Vina, California, Panorama markets natural and organic grass-fed beef to
food service operators as well as conventional and natural food retailers
such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes throughout the United States.
About IMI Global
Founded in 1995, IMI Global is a leading provider of verification and
Internet solutions for the agriculture industry. Go to
www.IMIGlobal.com
for additional information. IMI has worked with some of the largest
agricultural organizations in the United States, providing web-based
applications for verification and identification as well as a range of
consulting services tailored to meet each customer's needs. IMI operations
include
www.CattleNetwork.com, an online service offering market
information and industry news to the cattle industry, and
www.CattleStore.com, an online source for livestock supplies, such as
animal identification, medical equipment and veterinarian supplies.
Additional IMI web sites include
www.USVerified.com,
www.AgNetwork.com and
www.PetSupplyVerified.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, based on
current expectations, estimates and projections that are subject to risk.
Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and actual events
could differ materially from the Company's predictions. Important factors
that could cause actual events to vary from predictions include those
discussed in our SEC filings. Specifically, statements in this news
release about growth, profitability, potential, leadership, the impact and
efficacy of the Company's products and services on the marketplace, and
prospects for the Born & Raised in the USA® labeling program are
forward-looking statements that are subject to a variety of factors,
including availability of capital, personnel and other resources;
competition, governmental regulation of the beef industry, the market for
beef and other factors. In addition, financial results for the three and
nine-month periods are not necessarily indicative of future results.
Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update its
forward-looking statements to reflect new information or developments. For
a more extensive discussion of the Company's business, please refer to the
Company's SEC filings at
www.sec.gov.
Contact Information: Company Contacts:
John Saunders
Chief Executive Officer
303-895-3002
Jay Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer High Investor Relations, Inc.
303-393-7044