Welcome to Food World’s 2025 Market Study issue! Phew! Another year passes by and another market study hits the newsstands, so to speak. Happy reading.
Congratulations to the entire team at Weis Markets on their beautiful new Lake Linganore, MD store, which officially opened on June 19. Jeff and I drove out the day before to attend the preview and ribbon cutting ceremony and had a chance to walk through the 56,000 square foot supermarket, and it is a beauty! The company’s seventh store in Frederick County is the first of five new units it will open in the next year and is the retailer’s first new build store since 2020. It features a fresh, modern design, a full-service pharmacy, expanded grocery and produce sections, and a Weis Gas N’ Go fuel center. Also located inside the store is a Starbucks unit, the second one in the Weis fleet. Chairman, president and CEO Jonathan Weis spoke to the many Weis associates in attendance and thanked them for their hard work and dedication. COO Bob Gleeson thanked Mother Nature for the glorious weather that day, which was the first sunny day in about a week, and touted the many features of the new store. Several other company execs also spoke and then the manager of the new store, Derek Valencia, made remarks before handing out several donations to local organizations in the community, which is near New Market and Ijamsville.
On a personal note, I grew up not too far from the area and it was a real eye opener to see the growth there. As a kid, I spent many summer days at my dad’s cousin’s farm in Ijamsville picking corn. Then, we’d take a truckload of the newly picked crop down to our old neighborhood in Bethesda and sell it to the folks there – a baker’s dozen for 25 cents – and the truck would be empty within a couple of hours whenever we made the trip down county.
Anyway, congratulations to Weis Markets. I encourage you to check out the new location if you’re in the area. Next up in a few days will be the new Rockville, MD Wegmans debut. More on that next month. It’s good to see some new store activity.
Congrats are also in order for Harris Teeter’s Joey Bates, who was recently inducted into the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association’s Hall of Fame. The Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame was established in 2010 to recognize individuals whose passion and leadership have advanced the industry. Inductees are honored for their lasting contributions to the category and to supporting NFRA’s mission.
Bates is the retailer’s senior director of store development and strategy – construction, maintenance, and market refresh. He has more than 30 years of experience in the grocery industry, holding leadership roles in store operations, merchandising and brand development. Since joining Harris Teeter in 2001, he has overseen categories throughout the store and served as dairy category manager and director of private brands.
In making the announcement, NFRA said: “A longtime advocate for the refrigerated category, Bates played a key role in introducing innovative products and bringing emerging brands to Harris Teeter’s shelves.” He served on the NFRA board for 2013 to 2023, chaired the Refrigerated Food Council from 2021 to 2023, served on the new member committee, presented to the Small Business Council, and helped launch the NFRA Convention’s Speed Meeting. He is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins. Nice work, Joey!
The induction ceremony will take place during the 2025 NFRA convention in October at the World Center Marriott in Orlando. For more information about the show, go to nfraconvention.org.
Also being recognized for excellence is Pompeian’s Sunrise Olive Ranch olive oil, which has earned top honors at three of the world’s most prestigious olive oil competitions.
At the heart of the accolades for the Baltimore-based brand is Sunrise Olive Ranch, located in California’s Cuyama Valley. The ranch was the first olive farm in North America to earn the Sustainably Grown Certification from SCS Global Services, a global leader in third-party sustainability certification, validation and verification. Pompeian has committed to certify 100 percent of its farms by 2030. So far, 30 percent of its farms have achieved that goal.
Pompeian was awarded the Zurich International Olive Oil Award for sustainability and innovation, the only American olive oil brand to receive the honor. In addition, Pompeian received three Gold Medals at the 2025 NYIOOC World Olive Oil competition and multiple honors at the 2025 Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil competition.
“Our dream is to transform the olive oil industry through sustainability and high quality olive oil,” said Paula Lopes, Pompeian’s VP of quality, R&D and Sustainability. “These awards honor the growers and innovators to make better olive oil for people and the planet.”
It’s good to see a local company get international attention for a good reason.
Alright, readers, enjoy this market study. I’m off to put the finishing touches on the Food Trade News version. Have a great July 4th weekend!
