CLEARLAKE, Calif. – IGA has announced that Clearlake-based Foods Etc IGA and owner Dennis Darling have been awarded the IGA Five Star honor for achievement in IGA’s Assessment Program. Five Star is the highest level of recognition possible under the Assessment Program’s rigorous standards.

The IGA Assessment Program focuses on store appearance and product quality, employee training, customer service, engagement in IGA consumer-focused marketing events, and support and involvement in the local community.

The IGA Assessment Program involves four unrevealed and one revealed assessment within the course of a year, and also incorporates a customer feedback component.

“IGA’s customers know that when they shop at IGA, they’re supporting not only their local independent retailer, but their community as a whole,” IGA CEO Mark Batenic said. “The heart and soul of IGA retailing is providing our customers with the very best level of service along with a personalized, community-focused experience.”

Batenic continued, “Foods Etc. is a shinning example of a store that is elevating the power of the IGA Brand by providing a total customer experience. We’re proud of Dennis Darling and Foods Etc. IGA’s achievement and thank all the customers who inspired the Foods Etc. team to be the best.”

“We at Foods Etc IGA are so proud to be Lake County’s Five Star IGA,” Darling said. “We achieved this honor by working as a team to meet the needs of our customers. I’d like to thank my dedicated team for their hard work day in and day out.”

IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year.

The alliance includes nearly 5,500 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories.