For M. Levin & Co. Inc., a fourth-generation wholesaler and the oldest company on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, business is off to a strong start in 2021.

“We had a good start in Q1 of this year as compared to Q1 of last year, with COVID shutting down most every business (and the entire world) at that point,” said Mark Levin, CEO of the company. “Fortunately, being in the food business, we’ve been able to remain open through this pandemic and have been able to provide food to our customers in the same capacity as we were able to pre-COVID.”

So far in 2021, the company is starting to see its partners in the foodservice sector open back up, with restaurants starting to seat clients indoors again in a larger capacity.

“We have been very fortunate to remain open during all of this,” Levin said.  “The imported fruit season is coming to an end. Mostly it has been decent, but during the height of the growing season in Chile, foul weather destroyed an abundance of grapes. This hurt the industry immensely. However, on the brighter side, weather on the West Coast seems to be just about ideal and we expect good quality and sizing for peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries and grapes.”

The biggest buzz in the company currently is that 2021 marks M. Levin and Co., Inc.’s 115th year in business, as it first opened its doors in 1906 on Dock Street in Philadelphia, selling bananas off the back of a horse drawn wagon. 

“Fast forward 115 years later, we’re still selling those bananas,” Levin said. “We ripen more than 30,000 cases of bananas a week and are one of the mid-Atlantic regions’ largest banana ripeners.”

The company is currently being run by the third- and fourth-generation of family members, with the fourth generation made up of women.

“The entire Levin family takes great pride in their work and their passion for the business is what really has allowed us to survive this long,” Levin said. “We value our relationships with our suppliers and customers and believe that we are able to offer them the highest levels of value, product and customer service that rivals anyone around.”

In addition to bananas, M. Levin and Co., sells a full-line of fresh fruits and vegetables, also well-known for its very expansive line of tropical and ethnic produce. The company has suppliers from around the world, which makes it capable of serving customers of all sizes with more than 900 different commodities.

“Top item for us is always our banana program due to our extensive banana ripening program,” Levin said. “Second largest growth item category is our tropicals. With the changing demographic in not just Philadelphia, but in our country as a whole, it appears that tropical and ethnic produce will continue to grow far into the future.”

The biggest challenge outside of COVID-19 that the company is currently facing is competition with its own suppliers, with Levin explaining many customers are now ordering directly with its shippers, which makes for some tricky situations. Also, transportation has become a big problem, with the virus stopping some people from wanting to drive across country and a stimulus package that encourages people not to want to work.

Still, the company continues to expand its delivery capabilities.

“It is something that we got away from in more recent years, but something we’re now working on revamping,” Levin said.

“Many of our customers, especially due to COVID, are no longer looking to come into the market daily but still would like to receive their produce daily.”

M. Levin and Co.’s customers are anyone that buys and sells produce, in wholesale quantities, with customers that range in size from large big box stores and retailers, independent grocers, restaurants, down to corner stores and in more recent days even neighborhood co-ops.

“Our secret to our strong partnerships, with both our suppliers and customers alike, is that we treat them with respect and we do our best to represent and serve them as best we can,” Levin said.

“We like to believe that we are a company of produce professionals, made up of produce lifers — who all carry a vast wealth of knowledge of the industry — which is a huge benefit to our customers especially when they need information on supply, availability and pricing. Information and transparency is the key to developing, maintaining and growing our customer base.”