ALICO
HIRES PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
LaBelle,
FL, March 15, 2006---Alico, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALCO), a
leading
landholder and one of the South’s best known agribusiness companies, is pleased
to announce it has hired Dr. Dan L. Gunter as its President and Chief Operating
Officer.
Dr.
Gunter has extensive senior leadership experience in the citrus industry,
including his most recent position as Executive Director of the Florida
Department of Citrus. From 1992 through 2000, Dr. Gunter served as an officer
in
various executive positions for Vitality Beverages, Inc., with a focus on
sales
and marketing management, as well as specific operating P&L
responsibilities. He has also held the positions of Assistant and Associate
Professor in the Food and Resource Economics department at the University
of
Florida. He holds a Masters degree in Business Management from the University
of
Arkansas, as well as a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University
of
Tennessee.
Dr.
Gunter will join the company effective April 17, 2006 and will report to
John R.
Alexander, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. According to Mr. Alexander,
“We
are pleased with the knowledge, leadership and management experience of Dr.
Gunter, who we believe will help Alico strategically fulfill its evolving
mission and vision. Perhaps more importantly, his management and oversight
of
our agribusiness operations will enable me to better focus on managing Alico’s
real estate assets and building our internal real estate
expertise.”
About
Alico, Inc.
Alico,
Inc., an agribusiness company operating in Central and Southwest Florida,
owns
approximately 136,000 acres of land located in Collier, Hendry, Lee and Polk
counties. Alico is involved in various operations and activities including
citrus fruit production, cattle ranching, sugarcane, sod production, and
forestry. Alico also leases land for farming, cattle grazing, recreation
and oil
exploration. Alico intends to grow its asset values and earnings through
enhancements to its agricultural businesses and proactive management of its
real
estate holdings.
For
Further Information Contact: John R. Alexander
La
Belle,
Florida
(863)
675-2966
Statements
in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact
constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors
that
could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different
from
the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by
such
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein
are
also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described
from
time to time in the Company’s reports and registration statements filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.