Possibly the most modern wholesale produce market in the U.S., the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market will celebrate 10 years in business June 5.
In 2011, the market opened the doors at 6700 Essington Ave., welcoming buyers to its fully enclosed, fully refrigerated 686,000-square-foot facility, according to a news release.
The market is home to 19 wholesale produce businesses that employ hundreds of people in both union and non-union positions and donate more than 2 million pounds of fresh produce to local charities every year.
“We are proud to pave the way as a leader in cold chain management, product safety, staging, loading, security and recycling,” market general manager Mark Smith said in the release. “In addition to establishing the highest global standards for distributing produce, our goal is to divert as much waste from the landfill as we possibly can. Through anaerobic digestion and other environmentally friendly practices, we’ve reduced our waste stream by about 80% and continue to focus on that last 20%.”
Three market business leaders weighed in on what the market means to them:
- Tracie Levin, general manager of M. Levin & Co. Inc.:
“We couldn’t have asked for a better facility to showcase our produce. The bright, clean (and of course ‘cool’) and spacious market that has become our home has been great for the merchants and all of the customers who shop at the PWPM.”
- Tom Kovacevich, president and chief operating officer of TMK Produce:
“We are truly grateful for the opportunity to transact business here. There is no better arena for wholesale produce trading anywhere on earth.”
- John Vena, president of John Vena Inc., said in the release that the key to planning and developing this facility was the collaborative spirit of the merchants:
“We worked together and made it happen. Ten years on, that same willingness to work together continues to push us all forward.
As the pandemic winds down and the world starts to open back up safely, the market plans to officially celebrate in early fall.
“We want to thank everyone who helped us achieve this milestone, and we look forward to serving the produce community for many years to come,” Smith said in the release.
