M. Levin and Co. have enjoyed generations of success in Philadelphia
M. Levin and Co. was founded in 1906 in Philadelphia — owned and operated by the same family for all of these years — and is the among the oldest family-owned-and-operated produce wholesalers in the area.
The business is currently being run by family members of the third and fourth generation. M. Levin’s fourth generation is also comprised of women, which sets M. Levin apart from others in the Philadelphia market.
“In 2023, we celebrate our 117th year in business,” said Tracie Levin, controller for M. Levin, who also sits on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market’s board — the first woman ever in the produce market’s history to do so. “We are credited with bringing bananas into the region and were one of the first banana ripeners in the northeast.”
Business for the company in 2023 has been off to a good start, with Levin noting it’s been very comparable to the year prior.
“During the first months of the year due to weather issues in Central America there were not enough bananas around to meet demand, but banana production appears to be coming back and supply is looking good again,” Levin said.
Philadelphia is home to many world-renowned restaurants, which has been one of the keys to success for the company.
“We’ve become quite the foodie city in the past few decades,” Levin said. “We’re also a strong produce town because of the ethnically diverse population that lives here. Produce is a staple item for many.”
One of the biggest challenges the company is facing right now is the fact that it has an aging workforce and labor is not as easy to come by.
“We are at a point in time where many of our long-time employees — many of whom have been working for us for 30-plus years — are starting to consider retirement,” Levin said. “Looking to find people who can fill the shoes of our retiring employees is definitely going to be a challenge.”
Still, the company continues to grow and are currently expanding its delivery footprint and are looking to increase its banana ripening capabilities within the coming months as well to be able to service more of its customers’ needs.
“Our customers are anyone who buys and sells produce in wholesale quantities,” Levin said. “Our sales and ripening team members are experts in our field. Our customers are able to call on them to assist them with their produce merchandising, along with buying, storage and selling questions. We look to be able to provide our customers with the best in-class customer service that we’ve been known to provide for the past 100-plus years.”
M. Levin has friendly competition with others in the Philadelphia produce industry and competing against others in the market is part of daily business.
“We’re just a few steps away from our competitors within the produce market,” Levin said. “It’s good to have competition, it keeps our company always striving to do better and to be able to provide the best product along with the best pricing for our customers.”
As a full-line wholesaler, M. Levin carries all fruits and vegetables along with meats, cheese, rice, nuts and fish along with various tropical drinks, crackers and cookies, though its specialty is in bananas and tropicals. The company ripens more than 30,000 cases of bananas a week and provide them up and down the East Coast.
“I am most proud of the hard work that the generations leading up to mine have put into the company,” Levin said. “Each generation, from the first to the third, has worked hard to lay a strong foundation for the next generation to grow from. My father in particular, Mark, has taught me the value of hard work — he’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met and he has a passion for the produce industry like I’ve never seen before. I’m proud to be able to learn from him day in and day out. I look forward to being able to leave my mark on the company and to one day be able to pass it along to the next generation.”