ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2000--The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD), a global supplier of equipment to the foodservice industry, today announced the retirement of David P. Riley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, effective December 31, 2000. Mr. Riley has been with the Company for 19 years, under his strong and capable leadership Middleby has grown from a small regional manufacturer to an International Organization manufacturing Middleby products and distributing them in over 110 countries. Mr. Riley will continue to serve on the Board as well as act as an advisor to the Corporation.

Concurrently, The Company named Selim Bassoul, age 43, to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2001.

Since joining The Middleby Corporation in 1996, Mr. Bassoul has held several positions including President of Southbend, President of the Cooking Systems Group, and most recently Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bassoul holds an M.B.A. from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business and a Certificate in Professional Accounting. As Group President, he transformed the operating divisions under his leadership into a more focused organization with increasing quarterly earnings and introduced many successful new products. As Chief Operating Officer, he has completely re-engineered Middleby, by implementing process improvements in all of the Company's plants and repositioned Middleby as a leader in all market segments it serves.

The Middleby Corporation is a leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and service of a broad line of equipment used for cooking and preparation of food in commercial and institutional kitchens and restaurants throughout the world. The Company's leading equipment brands include Middleby Marshall(R), Southbend (R), and Toastmaster (R). Middleby's international subsidiary, Middleby Worldwide, is a leading exporter and distributor of foodservice equipment in the global marketplace and its international fabrication subsidiary, Middleby Philippines Corporation, is a leading supplier of specialty equipment in the Asian markets.

For further information about Middleby, visit the Company's World Wide Web site, http://www.middleby.com.

CONTACT: The Middleby Corporation
David B. Baker, 847/429-7915