The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association announced that Abir Akhand, industry engagement manager for Altria Group Distribution Co., has joined the PFMA board of directors.

Akhand is a member of Altria's industry engagement team and leads advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania and across the Northeast. He joins the board with eight years of industry experience, including his recent work leading advocacy efforts throughout the Midwest.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board announced the launch of the 18th annual Retail Merchandising Contest, inviting retailers from across the country to showcase their creativity and merchandising excellence for a chance to win top prizes, including a $5,000 grand prize.

Wegmans Food Markets announced that the Wegmans Employee Scholarship Program will award college tuition assistance to more than 1,500 new recipients for the upcoming academic year. The company expects to pay out about $5.8 million in tuition assistance to both new and returning scholarship recipients during the 2026-2027 school year.

Since the program began in 1984, more than 49,500 Wegmans employees have been awarded scholarships totaling $155 million.

Mastronardi Produce, a leader in greenhouse-grown fresh produce, announced that its flagship SUNSET brand has earned seven Superior Taste Award certifications. The honors celebrate the exceptional flavor of Campari brand cocktail tomatoes, Angel Sweet tomatoes, WOW Dreamberry strawberries, Pop Its bite-sized cucumbers, Tomato Branch on-the-vine tomatoes, Flavor Bombs on-the-vine tomatoes and SUNSET WOW Joyberry blueberries.

Village Super Market celebrated the completion of a multimillion-dollar renovation at the ShopRite of Livingston with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 18, highlighted by a $5,000 donation to the West Essex YMCA and a weekend of community festivities. Livingston Mayor Shawn Klein joined store associates and members of the Sumas family to cut the ribbon Monday, following a family-friendly customer celebration on May 17 that featured live music, samplings and special in-store demonstrations for local residents.

I Love Produce is set to launch a comprehensive new sustainability strategy aimed at reinforcing its core values while positioning the company for continued success during a period of intentional, rapid growth and transformation. This initiative is designed to integrate sustainability across all aspects of the business — from sourcing and operations to partnerships and product innovation — ensuring that environmental responsibility and social impact go hand in hand with strong financial performance.