SPAR Group Appoints Veteran Food Industry Executive to Board

SPAR Group Appoints Veteran Food Industry Executive to Board

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2001 - SPAR Group Inc. (Nasdaq: SGRP) today announced the appointment of Jack W. Partridge to its board of directors, replacing J. Christopher Lewis who did not stand for reelection.

A 25-year veteran of the food industry, Partridge is president of Jack W. Partridge & Associates, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based consulting services firm focused on marketing, human resources, public relations and government affairs. He previously served as vice chairman and chief administrative officer of The Grand Union Company, a food retailing company operating in six Northeastern states.

Earlier, he held a variety of senior positions during a 23-year career with The Kroger Co., the nation's largest food retailer. From 1989-1998, he was Kroger's group vice president-corporate affairs and served as a member of the company's senior executive committee.

"We are extremely pleased that Jack Partridge has accepted our invitation to join the board of directors. His extensive supermarket and retailing experience and expertise will provide us with additional direction and strategic insight as we continue to move the company to its next level and beyond," said Robert G. Brown, chairman and chief executive officer of SPAR Group.

Partridge has been active in supermarket industry organizations for more than two decades, serving as chairman of the Food Marketing Institute's Government Relations Committee, chairman of the Food and Agriculture Policy Task Force, and a member of the Grocery Industry Committee on Solid Waste Solutions.

In 1997, Partridge was presented the Food Marketing Institute's Woodward Award for his leadership on a broad range of industry issues.

He served for six years as chairman of the board of the Ohio Retail Association. Other past positions with community organizations include: vice chairman of the Cincinnati Museum Center and a member of the boards of the United Way of Cincinnati, the Childhood Trust, Second Harvest, the Urban League, Boys and Girls Clubs of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Development Fund, and Downtown Cincinnati Inc. He also served as chairman of the Downtown Housing Task Force of the Cincinnati Business Committee and as president of the Piatt Park Community Development Corporation.

In 1997, Partridge was awarded the prestigious Tree of Life Award by the Jewish National Fund in recognition of his leadership in the Cincinnati community and the supermarket industry.

A native of Arkansas, Partridge graduated cum laude from Arkansas State University in 1968. He served as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army from 1969-1972.

SPAR Group Inc., a diversified marketing services company, provides a broad array of productivity enhancing products and services to help Fortune 1000 companies improve their sales, operating efficiency and profits. SPAR is organized into three operating divisions. Through its merchandising division, SPAR provides in-store merchandising, database marketing and research services in mass, drug, grocery and other major retail trade outlets in both domestic and international markets. SPAR's Marketing Incentive Division offers a wide variety of consulting, creative, program administration, travel and merchandising fulfillment services to companies seeking to retain, train, and motivate employees to higher levels of productivity. And SPAR's Internet Division, provides a series of Internet productivity improvement applications designed to help companies increase operating efficiencies and train employees in remote locations.

Contacts:
Charles Cimitile, 914/332-4100

PondelWilkinson MS&L
Gary S. Maier/Angie Yang, 310/207-9300