The Middleby Corporation Acquires Nu-Vu Food Service Systems

Middleby Announces Expiration of Union Contract at Elgin, IL Facility

&nbs= p; ELGIN, IL.--(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 17, 2007 -- The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ= :MIDD) today announced that the unionized work= force at its Elgin, Illinois manufacturing facility failed to ratify a final cont= ract proposal following an extension of its expired collective bargaining agreem= ent, resulting in a work stoppage.

&nbs= p; The company manufactures its Middleby Marshall conveyor ovens at this facility. There= are approximately 135 employees that participate in the union at the Elgin, = Illinois facility. Net sales generated= from this facility accounted for approximately 16% of the company’s net sa= les in 2006.

&nbs= p; The company expects there will be no disruption in service and support of exist= ing conveyor ovens operating at restaurants worldwide. Additionally, the company believes= it has a sufficient level of finished goods inventory to satisfy customer needs in= the near term. While the company = is hopeful to enter into a new employment contract with the union, it is taking immediate steps to minimize potential longer-term disruption by establishing alternative production capabilities.

Stat= ements in this press release or otherwise attributable to the company regarding the company’s business which are not historical fact are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.&= nbsp; The company cautions investors that such statements are estimates of future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of important fac= tors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Such factors include volatility in earnings resulting from goodwill impairment losses; variability in financing costs; quarterly variations in operating results; dependence on key custome= rs; international exposure; foreign exchange and political risks affecting international sales; protection of trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property; changing market conditions; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the timely development and market acceptance of the company’s products; the availability and cost of raw materials; and other risks detailed herein and from time-to-time in the company’s SEC filings.=

The Middleby Corp= oration is a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. The company devel= ops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of equipment used for commercial food cooking, preparation and processing. The company's leading equipment brands include Blodgett®, Blodgett Combi®, Blodgett Range®, CTX®, Houno®, Jade® , MagiKitch'n®, Middleby Marshall®, Pitco Frialator®, Southbend®, Nu-Vu®, Alkar®, RapidPak® and Toastmaster®. Middleby's international subsidiary, Middleby Worldwide, is a leading exporter and distributor of foodservice and the Middleby Philippines Corporation, is a leading supplier of specialty equipment in the Asian markets. In 2006 The Middleby Corporation w= as ranked #9 on the Forbes 200 Best Small Companies list.

For more informat= ion about The Middleby Corporation and the company brands, please visit www.middleby.com.

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Co= ntact: &nbs= p; Timothy Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer, (847) 429= -7744