Wegmans Food Markets

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Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
Wegmans
Type of Company Private
Founded 1916
Headquarters Rochester, New York, USA
Key people Danny Wegman, CEO
Colleen Wegman, President
Industry Retail (Grocery)
Revenue $3.8 billion (2005)
Employees 35,000 (2006)
Slogan "Every day you get our best!"
Website www.wegmans.com

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 71-store U.S. regional supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. The family-owned company, founded in 1916 by John and Walter Wegman, is headquartered in Rochester, New York. Danny Wegman is CEO; his daughter Colleen Wegman is president, while his father Robert Wegman, who died on April 20, 2006, was chairman.[1] Robert was the son of founder Walter Wegman. During his life he distinguished himself as a pioneer in the retail food business, as well as a generous donor to educational institutions and other charities.

Contents

[edit] Operations

Exterior of a typical 2000s-era Wegmans (in Alberta Dr. location in Amherst, NY)
Enlarge
Exterior of a typical 2000s-era Wegmans (in Alberta Dr. location in Amherst, NY)

Many of Wegmans' newer stores are of the "superstore" or "megamarket" type, with very large square footage, a large variety of foods aimed at an upscale market, and in many stores, Market Cafe in-store dining areas.

[edit] Chase-Pitkin Home & Garden Centers

Wegmans was the parent company of Chase-Pitkin, a regional home improvement retailer. On October 4, 2005, it announced that it would close all Chase-Pitkin stores by early 2006 and focus instead on Wegmans' highly successful supermarket operations. The decision to exit the home improvement business was reportedly due to the increasing dominance of national chains such as The Home Depot and Lowe's. Chase-Pitkin stores closed individually over the course of the month of March 2006.

[edit] Locations

[edit] Company facts

  • Wegmans has been named one of the "Top 100 Companies to Work For" in America by Fortune magazine every year since the inception of the list in 1998, ranking #1 in 2005 and #2 in 2006.[2][3][4][5]
  • Consumer Reports magazine ranked the chain as number one in its survey of the top 54 supermarkets in the United States for 2006.[6]
  • In 2006, it was the 66th largest privately held corporation, as determined by Forbes.[7] On Forbes's 2005 list, Wegmans ranked 54th.[8]
  • 31st on the 2004 Supermarket News list of the Top 75 Supermarkets based on sales volume; ranked 7th among privately held U.S. supermarkets.
  • Owns and operates the largest egg farm in New York State, with capacity for over 750,000 hens. [9]
  • Donated over 14 million lb (6,000 t) of food (350 tractor trailers) to local food banks and food pantries in 2004.[10]
  • Wegmans is the marquee sponsor of the Rochester Wegmans LPGA tournament.

[edit] Controversy

Wegmans has been criticized regarding the treatment of hens on its egg farm in Wolcott, New York by the Rochester-based animal-advocacy organization Compassionate Consumers.[11] Wegmans responded that their facility meets or exceeds the standards suggested by the United Egg Producers’ independent committee of animal science experts.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Robert Wegman, of Wegmans Markets, Dies The Washington Post. April 20, 2006
  2. ^ Robert Levering, Milton Moskowitz, Maura Griffin Solovar, "The 100 Best Companies To Work For In America", Fortune Magazine. January 12, 1998.
  3. ^ "The 100 Best Companies To Work For: With labor in short supply, these companies are pulling out all the stops for employees.", Fortune Magazine. January 10, 2000.
  4. ^ "Smucker tops 'Best Companies' list: Fortune magazine names jam and jelly maker new No. 1 company to work for in 2004.", CNN/Money.com. December 29, 2003.
  5. ^ "Wegmans tops best employers list: Fortune launches eighth annual list of '100 Best Companies to Work For', CNN/Money.com. January 10, 2005. Last accessed on March 26, 2006.
  6. ^ "Wegmans rated tops in Consumer Reports.", MSNBC. September 1, 2006. Last accessed on September 1, 2006.
  7. ^ The Largest Private Companies. Forbes.com (November 9, 2006). Retrieved on 16 November 2006.
  8. ^ The Largest Private Companies. Forbes.com (November 9, 2005). Retrieved on 16 November 2006.
  9. ^ Wegmans Egg FAQs
  10. ^ Wegmans Community Events
  11. ^ Wegmans Cruelty
  12. ^ "Wegmans Egg Farm", Official Statement from Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., November 14, 2005. Last Accessed on March 25, 2006.

[edit] External links

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