Weis Markets Inc. plans to invest more than $160 million in its growth in 2023.

At the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Sunbury, PA, Chairman, President and CEO Jonathan H. Weis said the company continues to make record investments in new stores, remodels, fuel centers, information technology upgrades and thousands of smaller store improvement projects.

Wiers Farm in Willard, OH, dates back to 1896 and through five generations, the family has brought their values and hard work into a company that employees are proud of and customers trust.

Mark DeFrancesco, founder and president of 4M Fruit Distributors in Chelsea, MA, who died February 17, 2023, grew up in a family business learning a very valuable lesson: Never say no!

“As the person sharing a bed with him, I can tell you he answered the phone 24/7,” said Maria DeFrancesco, his wife of 51 years.

“My father always used to say, if they call you and you don’t answer, they might not call you the next time,” said son Michael.

United With Earth Corp., not only is a leader in dates, but continues to do more with them.

“Every time I look at a date, I ask myself, ‘what else we can do with dates?’” said Daryoush Davidi, founder of the San Rafael, CA-based company. “Initially, we were selling them whole, then we turned them into paste and made coconut and almond date rolls, then we started to chop them to be used just like raisins in cookies. We also turned them into powdered sugar. I am always looking for the next new hit.”

Sunny Valley International is a shipper and full-service marketing company specializing in imported and domestic fruit sales. As of early May, the company is wrapping up its winter import season, which features imported berries, grapes and pears, among other things, and planning for the transition to its summer fruit season.

West Pak Avocado, a leading global distributor of premium avocados, unveiled a new price look-up sticker as part of an industry initiative through Avocados From Mexico. The program was created by AFM to help shoppers more easily identify quality Mexican avocados. West Pak’s new PLU sticker features the company’s branding along with the AFM logo with its signature PANTONE color.