L&M Cos. kicked off its 50th anniversary a little early. Although the company was founded Jan. 10, 1964, by Joe McGee, who serves as chairman, it cut a cake to share with customers and friends at the 2013 PMA Fresh Summit last October.

Lee Anne Oxford, marketing director for the company and McGee’s daughter, grew up watching as the company evolved and expanded. She is married to John Oxford, president and chief executive officer. The company’s executive team also includes Mike McGee, Oxford’s brother, who is the vice president of finance.Growers Brett Corn and Larry Corn with Joe McGee and John Oxford. The Corn family has been farming with L&M since L&M Farms was incorporated in 1983.

“On our actual anniversary date in January we held a celebration at our headquarters office in Raleigh [NC], and Dad addressed our staff,” said Oxford. “We plan to hold additional celebrations at our various locations across the country that will include open houses later on in the year to keep them more in tune with the seasonal movements at each region.”

The Raleigh open house celebration, for example, will be held in March, which is timed with produce movement in the region.

L&M has four individual product lines, which the company refers to as business units. It produces dry vegetables, such as peppers, squashes, cucumbers, chili peppers and other items with which it covers the East Coast, and it also works with its partners in Mexico.

“Our potato and onion unit is quite extensive,” said Oxford. “We produce or partner with growers in Colorado, California and other western states, as well as up and down the eastern side of the U.S.”

The company also handles cabbages, broccoli, tomatoes and eggplant; it sources from nearly 25 regions in the U.S. and Mexico alone.

Its Washington state apples, pears and cherries program has grown tremendously since it began and today represents a significant part of L&M’s programs.

“We also have a produce sourcing unit,” Oxford added. “This is a customer-focused, buy-and-sell business. Our sourcing team’s market expertise spans the U.S., Mexico and Central America. The office is strategically located in southern Florida, where it can best provide its expertise on East Coast fruit and vegetable LTL services.”

L&M also underwent a major rebranding initiative a few years ago. It’s logo and its tagline — “Well Grounded” — speaks to its heritage.

“When we talk about ourselves as being well-grounded, that refers to our growing attributes and our investments,” said Oxford. “But it also speaks to our sustainability and ethics for doing things the right way — from the farm level throughout our entire business.

“These values also carry through to our employees,” she continued. “We hire people who are well-grounded and have ethics that are in tune with ours. This speaks to our heritage and how this business grew from the ground up. These are the standards that will carry us through the next 50 years.”

The company also recently welcomed a new professional when it hired Steve Williams as manager of business development for its apple, pear and cherry programs. Williams works from his Washington state location, as well as from L&M’s headquarters in Raleigh. Oxford said his job involves a tremendous amount of travel.

“Steve is everything we represent, and he is an expert in retail marketing,” she noted. “He joined L&M in October. Prior to that he was with Sweetbay Supermarkets for 35 years. He held several positions during his time there, including director of fresh market merchandising and, prior to that, as director of produce and floral. We’ve known and have worked with Steve as a customer for years. He’s what we call a true ‘L&M’ guy.”

As a company that is always growing and expanding, L&M is constantly renovating and updating. It currently has renovation projects in the works in Florida, and it is expanding some of its potato operations in north Florida.

Oxford noted that the company’s onion business has expanded into Kansas in recent times, and it is working on other new opportunities.

“We have also engaged in a new cucumber program from the Yucatan, for example,” said Oxford. “The list of new projects and initiatives and others still on the drawing board is simply too long to mention them all, and it’s constantly being updated.”

Joe McGee grew up on a small farm in Johnston County, NC, and so farming was in his blood and his background. He moved to Raleigh when his father, Charles McGee, went into the wholesale business. He attended Florida State University, where, Oxford noted, he played football, which has made the family fans of the Seminoles team ever since.

“After college Dad started L&M Cos. in 1964 as a destination broker working on the Raleigh, NC, Wholesale Market,” said Oxford. “It sourced produce from growers in the region. We’ve been a family business ever since. My mom, Linda, even worked for the company for many years. We still put her to work today when we need her. She’s a true fan of our outstanding staff, and she even held the company Christmas party at her home.”

The company has had several milestones in its 50-year history. In 1977, it started L&M Transportation Services, which today handles fresh produce as well as dry freight.

Although McGee was already farming, L&M officially became a farming business in 1983, starting its new venture in Putnam County, FL, under the name of Putnam Farms. It has grown exponentially ever since.

Despite its outstanding leadership, Oxford is adamant in giving its employees and partners a huge amount of credit for the company’s success.

“Our employees and partners are a very big part of how our company has grown and become successful,” she said. “We started 50 years ago with three employees, if you count my mom. Today we have approximately 175 year-round employees, and that does not count farm labor, the transportation business, our growing-partners or labor. We are grateful to them all.”