Mr. Perry joins business partner, Ward Young, on the board of directors of the company in which Mr. Young's family has an 80 percent stake. He has already attended two board meetings.

Mr. Perry, the one-time supermarket king, who is the majority shareholder in the Bermuda Broadcasting Company Ltd., two weeks ago sealed the deal that brought him nine percent of BDC Ltd. He is now the single largest shareholder outside of the Young family.

The confirmation of the share purchase comes after enquiries from The Royal Gazette last week. Mr. Perry is off the island and unavailable for comment.

The two business leaders both serve on the boards of the Bank of Bermuda, Bermuda Broadcasting, Bermuda Container Line and now, BDC Ltd.

The capital injection into BDC Ltd. comes after its subsidiary BGA absorbed Purvis Ltd. to create the Island's largest wholesaler. Purvis was then losing $2.4 million a year.

Asked last night about Purvis failing, Mr. Young said: "It certainly did not come together as quickly as we had hoped. That is one of the reasons we are excited about Mr. Perry joining the board.

"We have found that we have needed to bolster the grocery business, and he knows the grocery business from the retail end. He is already actively participating.'' As for the losses incurred through the business being done with the former Purvis Company, Mr. Young is confident that with Mr. Perry's help, the bottom line will improve.

He remarked: "We should have turned that part of the business around within the next twelve months.'' Mr. Perry was officially made a director of BDC Ltd. on March 11. He was in the grocery business for 43 years and was the founder and owner of the Piggly Wiggly stores, before selling the chain, now the Marketplace Stores, in 1979.

Mr. Perry also is on the board of Wessex Ltd. and Bermuda Fire and Marine Insurance Co. Ltd.

BGA represents a number of major lines that include Proctor and Gamble, the Clorox Company, Cadbury's, Dole and Kelloggs. The company is also involved with health and beauty lines and magazines.

The Phoenix pharmacies carry a large portion of pharmaceuticals that are imported into Bermuda.

Mr. Fernance Perry.