2020 Weis NE ROY

THE GRIFFIN REPORT OF

THE NORTHEAST

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

‘Deliberate company that is very nimble’

Execs also cite family atmosphere, support for grocer’s bright future

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

In this special section, The Griffin Report of the Northeast honors Weis Markets as its 2020 Northeast Retailer of the Year. The Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based company has nearly 200 stores in seven states.

We begin by hearing from some of Weis’ key executives, who offer their thoughts on the company’s culture and success. In later pages, we’ll explore Weis’ community involvement, valuable team of associates and its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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2020 Northeast Retailer of the Year!

Kurt Schertle and Jonathan Weis

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Jonathan Weis, CEO and president

In 1912, Harry and his brother Sigmund Weis founded Weis Markets. 108 years later, Harry’s grandson, Jonathan, is living out the legacy of the family business as company CEO and president.

Jonathan Weis’ father, Robert, took over prior to this day and age, coming back to work and expand the company after serving in World War II. After studying some of the larger companies that existed, Weis Markets aimed to be an introduction of the modern American supermarket concept to Central Pennsylvania.

“Being progressive and caring about people and working pretty hard, they built up a substantial company,” Weis said of his father and grandfather. And without a doubt, he said, Weis’ mentor in the business was his father.

“I was privileged to work with my father essentially for 20 years. You learn a lot,” he said. “I had total immersion with him, from him, professionally and personally.

“There are some great successes out there in our industry – far greater than we. But we are proud of what success we have achieved. We’ve been around for a long time…and we’d like to think we continue to refine what we do.”

As evidenced in the ensuing testimonials from members of the company’s leadership team, Weis Markets continues on – with humility, honesty and care.

Kurt Schertle, Chief Operating Officer

Schertle has been in the supermarket business since he was in high school.

“I can tell that tired old story of us starting out bagging groceries. For many of [those years], I was with companies that had parent divisions off in other places…I’d worked for other companies where the home office was in ‘blank.’

“And at Weis…I like that we own it here…the distribution is ours; we own our manufacturing plants; the stores are ours. As a matter of fact, we own a decent percentage of those stores, not just lease them.

“We hold ourselves accountable for decisions. We make those decisions. And that really is gratifying.” And making those decisions all comes down to acting as a family company, said Schertle, pointing to Weis Markets being a publicly traded but tightly held business.

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Sigmund Weis (left) and Harry Weis (right) founders of Weis Markets.

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

good at recognizing early on and getting after it.

“I think the Weis family is forward thinking and is focused on the long term,” he said. “In the last several years, I’d say since Jonathan Weis took over as president and CEO in 2014…we’ve grown significantly.”

In 2016, the company acquired and opened 44 stores in three months, Schertle said. Weis is currently conducting studies on how to expand its distribution to solidify its upward trajectory.

He added, “We continue to grow. We continue to look for acquisitions and remodels and invest in our store base...five brand-new stores this coming year, and we have a lot of openings back to back next year, which is really, really exciting.”

Schertle attributes this growth largely to the Weis culture, centered around people.

“We probably have, in my opinion, the best operations team we’ve had since I’ve been here – store managers, district managers, regional VPs,” he said.

“I think what we’ve been able to do the last several years…is really be on trend. And if not being first –because being first isn’t always the right thing to do – being fast followers, recognizing what works and doubling down on that.

“Whatever the merchandising program, the IT solution, the operations issue, the pharmacy trend, the distribution and supply chain trend, I think we’re

“And a word we use around here is about being nimble, and we certainly are.

“We can pick up on a new trend or service, see something going on and get after it quickly. We don’t stand on process.”

Part of growing and keeping the customers committed to Weis is knowing the marketplace and catering to what customers want.

“We’re a mainstream, conventional supermarket operator…and we think that’s a real good place to be,” Schertle said.

“It’s not ‘sexy,’ but it’s extremely effective in offering excellent quality, strong values and everyday convenience.

“Conventional operators get a bad rap sometimes and are considered boring, perhaps a little uncool. But the reality is that most people want to shop a mainstream, conventional supermarket. And that’s our sweet spot. We offer one of the best experiences.

“We have great pricing versus our competitors – not just conventional supermarkets, but mass merchandisers and limited assortment operators and the like.”

According to Schertle, these advantages come together to set the company apart.

“Great shopping experience, store of the

neighborhood, really good pricing and high-impact loyalty rewards on top. And it probably doesn’t hurt that, hey, we are an American-owned company with a strong local focus. There’s something to be said for that.

“Going into the future, we think there’s a real place for conventional supermarkets. We do think that the nation is over-stored…and that it may create growth opportunities as it did in 2016, when we acquired 44 stores and converted them in three months. We will continue to be an acquirer, not a seller.”

Wendy Oliver, regional VP of operations

Oliver sees great success in the ability of the Weis family and company to keep their eye on running stores.

“In the operations, we have two main priorities, and they fit very well with the Weis culture,” she said. “And that is to build great teams and then build great

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

stores, and to stay fiercely focused on that. That’s what our job is to do every day.

“We hold ourselves accountable, and we like to deliver results. We do it with respect. We’re a deliberate company that is very nimble.”

Oliver reiterated that Weis Markets is continuously refining its operations.

“We can and we often change very quickly – on an upcoming trend or a competitive response… what prompts that quick action is the voice of our customer. In Central Pennsylvania, they often have been with us for generations.

“What is it like if the company is not nimble? You’re not responsive to the customer. It becomes harder to be responsive if you can’t affect change quickly…and I think that can hold companies back.”

Amy Zimmerman, store manager

Asked her favorite part of working for Weis Markets, Zimmerman didn’t hesitate.

“The family atmosphere,” she said. “The support they offer. I couldn’t work for a better company. I’m honored to work and be part of the team here.”

And Zimmerman doesn’t see that support – or the success that comes from it – wavering.

“We’re a strong company. I foresee us continuing to be a strong company – an organization that will continue to give back to the community. Since 1912, we’ve been in business, and I foresee another hundred years of being in business.”

Randy Householder, store manager

Householder has been with Weis since 2013 as a store manager. He decided to pursue a career with the company after hearing a few people rave about working for a family-oriented company that was “so much different than the norm” – in a good way.

“Being with a family company, it was an easier transition than just hearing people talk about it,” Householder said. “It was a true fact that this company is one that you want to work for, that you want to grow in, and you want to move forward in.

“I’m a people person, and I really want to see others do well. And that’s what I take from this company…some of the things we do is managing through the teams. I really utilize my team to get the message out – through the funnels that we have throughout the day, to work through the teams, and to accomplish our goals.”

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“We hold ourselves accountable, and we like to deliver results. We do it with respect. We’re a deliberate company that is very nimble.”.

– Wendy Oliver, regional VP of operations

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

From

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And coming into the company, Householder said there have been many people to help mentor him –people that stood behind him in everything.

“When you have that kind of leadership in place, that you can look up to and see where they are today, it makes you want to do more for yourself personally.

“I love what I do, but I always want to get my team to do more…I’m about people, but I always see more than others. And I feel like my bosses saw more in me – that I could do more for the company.”

Householder added that he foresees the future as “endless” for Weis Markets because of its clear direction.

“I think the biggest thing is retaining and hiring the right people. When I see our associates working hard in our stores, and when I see our executive leadership team being humbled, it means a lot about a company going forward. It really does. And it starts with the people.”

Elaine Cole, director of deli and food service

From Cole’s perspective, good leadership from Weis Markets has kept the business growing.

“Jonathan [Weis] and Kurt [Schertle] are really focused on current trends, and they also look a lot at emerging trends,” Cole said. “They do challenge us a lot, and we’ve seen extraordinary growth, especially with the meal solutions categories…and growing the Weis To Go brand, which covers everything with our mobile app, outside our stores and inside of stores.

“They also encourage the improvement of the department, where we leverage our size and the scope of our delis to make sure that we do have that competitive edge out there. We always want to be out there on the cutting edge of whatever we’re doing. And they support all of that and more.”

To Cole, its part of the company’s culture to

accelerate with new ways to cater to the customer, trying to anticipate and capture the future demand.

“We just opened a deli in our stores. And it’s the first one of its kind for us,” she said. “It came out of COVID because of social distancing…and the great thing about it is it’s not just deli, grab-and-go or heatand-eat meals – it’s the whole fresh department.

“The customer could come in…and they have meats that are ready to cook, but they’re already marinated and portioned, and they’re ready to go.

“And I think as long as they keep doing that, we’re going to go on forever because we’re there. And in all seriousness, we’re thinking about the next steps right now – where do we have to be in five years?”

Part of the growth has been keeping up with changes in technology. Since Cole started with Weis in 2012, she said the advances have been tremendous.

“Something else that we do every year – we just got done doing – is our upgrades with new equipment,” Cole said.

“Every year, they come up with making us better… we never just rest and say, ‘OK, we did our jobs.’ It’s that we’re constantly challenging to say, ‘What can we do better? What can we do for you?’ And I think that’s what makes us so unique.”

– Randy Householder, store manager

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Prior to joining Weis, Cole had 32 years of experience in the industry, which has helped her appreciate the company’s unique style.

“It’s the personal aspect,” she said. “They want to genuinely know how you’re doing…if there’s anything they can help you out with. Everybody’s had different things in their lives, and they’ve come through for me.”

Jerry Hatch, district manager

Hatch has been with Weis Markets since 1977. He started out as a part-time clerk, or what was known at the time as “parcel pick up,” helping to load cars, assist customers and collect carts. He then moved inside the store to stock groceries and run the register.

After working with the company throughout high school and college – during which he switched from studying engineering to business – he joined Weis’

management training program. He transitioned into a full-time management trainee in 1984.

The rest is history. And for Hatch, the future is clear.

“Despite the growth and the increase in the number of stores, it’s always felt like a family business to me,” he said. “Never once did I feel like I was a number. People were interested in your development, took an interest in you and in your career, and the company just continues to grow and keep up with the times.

“I think Weis has a very bright future. I’m certainly proud of the company and everything the company has done over the years.”

Richard Gunn, SVP of merchandising and marketing

One area that keeps Weis Markets competitive is research – collecting insight from its customers.

“They tell us one of the best things they like about our company is the fuel reward points program,” Gunn said. “We’ve got one bucket of points that the customers can redeem for fuel, and we’ve also got a menu of other options that they can redeem the points for. Right now, it’s for a free turkey…so they can redeem the points throughout the year.

“We’ve organized the reward programs to be extremely simple and easy for our customers to understand…we’ve simplified the marketing message to, ‘Eat better. Spend less. That’s Weis.’”

When looking to the future, Gunn noted, the company is “in a great position.”

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

communities where we serve,” he said.

“The company’s debt free and owns more than half its store sites. The company’s very strategic in terms of its growth,” he said.

“Jonathan is very solid as the CEO and leader of our company. I think he’s got a really, really good team of people surrounding him that are very experienced. And I think Weis has got tremendous opportunity to continue to grow inside our own footprint.”

Ron Bonacci, VP of advertising and marketing and public relations

In Bonacci’s eyes, the success of the company for a century-plus is the family’s philosophy.

“They took their mission statement…that basically says, we’re going to deliver an exceptional shopping experience, given the best quality service and freshness, and be good stewards of our economy and environment, giving back to the

“And that’s where – because they were benevolent people who cared about their associates, and they cared about the communities they served – it was paramount in the success of the entire company and the growth of the company over these 108 years.”

Philosophy aside, the Weis family just cared. And continues to do so.

“They really are kind, caring people,” Bonacci said. “They care about our families, and they care about our customers’ families.”

And this care has nurtured a culture of successful leadership in other executives.

“My boss is Richard Gunn…I very much respect his decision-making and his passion in the industry,” Bonacci said.

“And then Kurt Schertle, our COO, is an extremely passionate, very, very intelligent man – just so in tune with the industry and what’s going on every day…and he actually is on pulse with what’s going on daily and communicates with and checks with you.”

Bonacci went on to credit his team.

“I have a wonderful, wonderful staff of about 30 people,” he said. “Just a tremendous team that goes out and does this for us every day to make sure we put our best foot forward.

“And it’s all about the people. It really is. We wouldn’t be where we are without people, and the success and value of that is great…and I just feel blessed to be in a company like this.”

David Gose, SVP of operations

Prior to joining Weis, Gose had a successful career working for some large companies in the grocery industry. But he is quick to say he couldn’t have made a better decision landing where he is today –with his second family.

“First and foremost, we’re family. It’s a smaller company, so everyone knows everyone,” Gose said. “And even with that, we’re very respectful of other ideas. People have different experiences. There are different opinions on things. We’re a company that listens to all of those. It’s a very inclusive, respectful environment.”

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Second to the relationships, Gose loves how quickly the company moves.

“We don’t have to have a plethora of meetings,” he said. “We don’t have to have presentation after presentation after presentation. Certainly, there are the analytics that we look at, and we have formal conversations and discussions around them. But I think part of our success has been, while other companies are in their umpteenth meeting, we’re out implementing and executing.

“And you have to be. If you’re going to be a small regional player, I think that’s kind of the ticket to the dance. You’ve got to be a lot quicker, more nimble, and do things faster than the competition.”

Gose added that he thinks that approach has served the company well.

“I’m very bullish on Weis Markets. When you look at historically how we’ve performed, we’ve been very successful. I think the future is just as bright, if not brighter, than the success that we’ve had in the past.

“It’s family. And it’s a blessing to be part of that.”

Joe Kleman, VP of distribution

When Kleman started with the company, unloading trucks on the night shift some 41 years ago, he didn’t know very much about the Weis family business.

“Over a number of years, I’ve learned more about them – some of the finest folks on Earth. I got to know Jonathan and his family, his mother and father,” Kleman said.

And these fine folks – with the help of their employees – have helped lead Weis to its success today by doing business with “high integrity and doing things right, for all the right reasons.”

Kleman added, “If you’re successful…many people helped you get to be successful. I would say, my role has been to help others get to their fullest potential. We’ve got many success stories – I’m one of them, but there are hundreds – if not thousands – of people who have made it to the next level and proved their position within the company.

“Our company is strong…I think it’s a good mix of people like myself, who have been here for many years…and then also a mixture of bringing in people from the outside to learn new ideas.

“We can learn from each other what works, what has worked historically here, and then what will work in the future, and then really embrace change. You can’t be afraid of change – that’s going to happen. You just want to be in position to achieve results when change will ultimately happen.”

Klemen closed by adding that he thinks the company’s future is bright. “We’ve got a high-caliber staff. We’ve got great growth potential, and we’re always looking to acquire companies – build new stores or remodel stores.”

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Community involvement key to the culture

Makes good business sense to take care of those who ‘take care of us’

pet shelters to the American Heart Association, among others.

And this service also is part of the internal culture of Weis Markets.

“We do a lot with having our associates be very active in the community,”

“We continue to inspire our associates to be benevolent out there, even if it’s just giving their time and energy out there to make sure that they make a

Part of its involvement is volunteer-based, and the other is monetary.

“In fighting hunger, we’re very, very generous. We’ve been collecting funds at registers from our benevolent customers,” Bonacci said. “Our corporate donations – we do a lot of matching up to several dollars, to make sure that our community and corporate donations are very favorable to the community

“We’re committed to the food banks in our market area, particularly during a time of record food insecurity. Just this year alone, we’re going to be close to $2 million in giving to our food banks, and 860 tons of food…one in six are food insecure…it just goes a long way to helping those people.”

While donations are a huge part of Weis’ community service, discounts also reflect the company’s dedication to taking care of its customers.

“From a veterans’ standpoint…every Thursday, we give them 10 percent off all of our private label items, which is 67,000 items,” Bonacci said.

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Local food banks and animal rescue groups are among the many beneficiaries of Weis Markets’ generosity.

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

“In addition, we partner with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, where we work with our communities [to] serve and ask our customers to be benevolent as well [in addition to] what we give as a corporate donation.

“Our late chairman, Robert Weis, was also in the military. And so we honor our company through that aspiration of what he served in…since 2017, when we took that up, it’s been about a $1.3 million going to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“We care about our veterans and want to make sure that they get all the care and the service and the job security that they deserve – for what they’ve done in sacrifice for our companies. We bless them for what they do.”

Another issue that Weis has taken on through donations and events is diabetes, partnering with the American Heart Association.

“Diabetes runs very high in our marketplace and our region, and so the American Heart Association is near and dear to our heart. It’s a very, very worthy cause,” Bonacci said. “Between our associates and our customers, we go out and do the local events.

“We’re blessed to chair a couple of these events going forward, which is really nice. And this year alone, we’re going to give $315,000 to the American Heart Association.”

And the company also cares about the four-legged friends in its communities.

“In the last two years, we’ve raised over $600,000 to give to the pet shelters, to rescue centers and animal resource centers,” Bonacci said. “We want to donate our time and our resources, and we also donate food on top of that.”

A timely cause that Weis took on was helping essential workers during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

“We also wanted someone to help those first responders, so we do a

Hometown Heroes where people can support the frontline people,” Bonacci said. “That includes grocery workers like us, but also includes doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, and any of those first responders out there in the community to help serve and keep people safe.

“We work in those areas with a lot of our TV and radio stations to make sure that the message gets out in those communities we serve, and those people are recognized.”

Also new this year is the Weis For School initiative.

“We’re going to give $500,000 to our schools,” Bonacci said. “And that’s to help support the schools in this pandemic time, to make sure that those children and the teachers that serve those kids have some benefit…get whatever they need.”

An additional piece of Weis’ community engagement during the pandemic has been its continued support of the local economy.

“We have our own milk plant, which is local, and we get all our milk from the local farmers. We have our own ice cream plant that we make from our own milk,” Bonacci said. “And we have our own meat plant – we actually process a lot of the meat that goes into our stores…we care about local.

“We’ve been local before local was ever cool. We’ve worked for almost 100 years with all of the local economy.”

This focus on giving back during a time of crisis has stood out for Amy Zimmerman, store manager, and Jerry Hatch, district manager for Weis.

“We are partnering with the food bank, the local fire department and the local schools and donating a monetary donation to them,” Zimmerman said.

Hatch added, “We just started another food bank campaign, taking collections through the registers to support local banks that are in such a need right

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Congratulations Weis Markets

on being named 2020 Northeast Retailer of the Year

The second Weis Markets opens in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, which would go on to anchor the Central Pennsylvania region for decades.

Harry’s son, Robert, and Sigmund’s son, Sigfried, return from the armed services after World War II to work for their fathers’ companies. Early in their careers, they worked in various parts of the company including: operations, distribution, merchandising, marketing, procurement, human resources, real estate and store construction.

Three Weis Pure Foods stores are consolidated into one larger, self-service store in Harrisburg. It is known as Weis Super Market.

Weis Pure Foods operates 115 corner grocery stores throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Weis Markets opens a dairy processing plant in Sunbury PA. Using locally sourced milk, the plant produces Weis Quality milk.

Weis Markets becomes a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WMK). It operates 52 stores, employed 2,000 associates and generated $111 million in sales.

Sigmund Weis passes away. By now, 115 smaller Weis Pure Food stores had been converted into 35 larger supermarkets known as Weis Markets.

Weis Markets opens its first non-Pennsylvania store in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Albany, New York, later in the year.

Weis Markets completes work on new ice cream plant, which converts surplus cream from its dairy plant to Weis Quality ice cream. Today, it produced more than 60 flavors.

Weis Markets upgrades its supply chain, opening a new 350,000-square-foot distribution center in Milton, Pennsylvania.

Weis Markets generates $1 billion in sales for the first time and operates 122 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New York.

Weis opens its first New Jersey store in 1992 and purchases 14 IGA stores in the Poconos and Northeast Pennsylvania, renaming them Mr. Z’s Food Mart.

Jonathan Weis joins the company. He is the son of Robert Weis and represents the third generation of Weis family leadership.

Harry and Sigmund Weis found Weis Markets as Weis Pure Foods on Market Street in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Harry Weis passes away; Sigfried and Robert Weis assume leadership of Weis Markets.

Weis Markets opens its first in-store pharmacy. Within a year, it would open 10 additional pharmacies. Today Weis Markets operates 139 in-store pharmacies.

Sigfried Weis, a top executive, retires after a 38-year career. He died in 1995. The company also purchased six Kings Supermarkets in the AllentownBethlehem area.

Jonathan Weis becomes company vice chairman.

Robert Weis becomes Chairman of Weis Markets, marking the beginning of a period of sustained growth and improvement for his company.

Weis Market launches its Preferred Shoppers Club program, the first loyalty marketing program in its market area.

Weis expands its sustainability program with benchmarks.

Kurt Schertle is promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his promotion, he was the company’s Executive Vice President.

Former Supervalu executive Kurt Schertle joins company as VP of Sales and Merchandising.

Weis launches its Fight Hunger program, which raises and donates a combined $4 million local food banks and pantries over the next decade.

Robert Weis passes away. Earlier in the year, he became Chairman Emeritus. Jonathan Weis succeeds him as Chairman.

Weis Markets and its associates present a check for $800,000 to Paralyzed Veterans of America in support of its Mission: ABLE campaign. This was raised during a fall check-off program. Over the past four years, it has generated more than $1.5 million in combined customer and corporate donations for PVA.

After a multi-year dispute with the heirs of Sigfried Weis, who attempted to force a sale of the company, Robert Weis directed a repurchase of their stock and became the company’s largest shareholder. This move solidified the company’s strategic direction and helped preserve more than 1,000 jobs in the Sunbury area where it continues to operate a store support center, distribution center, milk, ice cream and meat plants.

Weis purchases 44 stores, increasing the number of stores it operates by more than 25 percent and converts them in 96 days.

Weis introduces its Low, Low Price program, slashing prices on 7,000 items throughout the store, to offer the lowest everyday price in each market. The following year, it expands the program to include 60 of its most popular produce items.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a seismic impact on the lives of Weis associates and customers. In the spring, full and partial shutdowns result in a dramatic shift in demand to food retailers. Weis associates quickly adapt to changing operational requirements and new sanitizing and social-distancing protocols.

Weis opens its flagship store in Enola, PA. It has a pub, ice cream parlor, expanded takeout food selection, a drive-thru pharmacy and a cafe selling 900 varieties of beer and 500 varieties of wine.

Jonathan Weis assumes the role of President and Chief Executive Officer.

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Among the many organizations supported by Weis Markets is the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

From page 40

now…this year, we focused on food banks because there is such a need during the pandemic. Food banks are under such stress and demand for product.”

Weis’ corporate responsibility also involves taking care of the environment, a point that SVP of Operations David Gose emphasized.

“Part of being a good community partner and giving back in the community… [is] taking care of the environment and making sure that we’re doing what is expected of us and what’s entrusted with us as it relates to carbon emissions and sustainability efforts,” Gose said.

“The sustainability piece of it is something that we’ve been working on for many years – working on reducing our carbon footprint when we look at the type of trucks and vehicles that we’re purchasing; when we’re looking at the amount of electricity that our stores are consuming.”

He added that the company has been implementing LED lighting in stores.

“We’re focused on the recycling efforts in our stores as well,” he said. “We allow customers to bring plastic bags back, which we recycle. We recycle all the cardboard that we have in stores, white paper, aluminum, etc.

“We’re really focused on that. That’s important to us. It’s important to me, personally. My family – we recycle, and we probably have more recycling each week than we do the trash that goes to the landfill. And it should be that way.”

That’s all part of being a “good neighbor,” something that Weis Markets takes seriously.

“From a good neighbor perspective, I think the cool part about Weis is we’re the home player in many of our geographies of which we reside,” Gose said. “We were kind of there first, and it’s always been a great connection with the communities of which we serve.

“We ask our store managers to be involved in community outreaches, to be

Congratulations

2020 Northeast Retailer of the Year

part of committees and boards locally, as well. We think that just makes sense. And so, when our customers are shopping our stores, they recognize those individuals that are that are managing the store and know that they’re committed to the community.

“We just think it makes really good business sense to take care of those in the community that take care of us.”

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Gratitude from the American Heart Association

Thank you to Weis Markets and its more than 20,000 associates for believing in the mission of the American Heart Association.

Their volunteer service on committees and leadership at the local, regional and national levels are fueling our work for healthy hearts and minds.

Through sponsorship and consumer campaigns such as Life is Why, Weis’ generous financial commitments have surpassed $1 million just in the year 2020 alone.

We’re truly grateful for their support, which funds break-throughs in research and life-saving technology, as well as other advancements and the American Heart Association’s programs and initiatives.

On behalf of the American Heart Association and the survivors we work with everywhere, thank you to Weis Markets for inspiring their customers – and our communities – to live longer, healthier lives.

Nicole Aiello Sapio EVP, American Heart Association-Eastern States

CONGRATULATIONS

2020 Northeast Retailer of the Year

Talking Rain congratulates Weis Markets on this great accomplishment.

We are honored to collaborate with Weis Markets and look forward to continued prosperity.

talkingrain.com

COVID-19

OF THE YEAR

pandemic can’t alter overall approach

CEO proud of safety, swift response and that stores ‘still all about serving the public’

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

Asked to reflect on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the U.S. grocery industry, Weis Markets COO Kurt Schertle deferred to the company’s CEO and president, Jonathan Weis.

“Candidly, I think my boss Jonathan was one of the first [to recognize the impact],” he said.

For his part, Weis said there was a sense of foreboding in the air.

“A bunch of us, myself included strongly, realized something was up and it was going to be bad,” Weis said. “We were determined to minimize the pandemic’s effect on our associates’ health. In February, we worked to get people to adopt the COVID protocols. In March, as things worsened, we closed our 400-person Store Support Center, essentially our headquarters, and had most of our associates working remotely.”

Schertle recalled a pivotal gathering during that time.

“We had a state-of-the-company meeting in February where we put up signs that said, ‘elbow bumps are the new handshake.’ And at first, it was kind of awkward, because this is back in February,” he said. “We had store managers coming up, and Jonathan and I are sitting there, sticking our elbows out at them. They’re looking at us

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

like, what are you doing?

“We were very early to go out there and secure [personal protective equipment]. We were very early to put signs up in all of our buildings – not just stores, but distribution centers, store support centers, and encouraging healthy habits of handwashing.

“We really started early with social distancing, with cleaning, with sanitizing, with getting shields up at our registers for our cashiers, in our customer service and our pharmacies.”

Prior to the pandemic, the company had installed a record number of self-scans in stores.

“It was just fortuitous…we doubled down to get more of these in. We doubled down on our e-commerce efforts.”

Budget is a guide, not gospel

Ron Bonacci, VP of advertising and marketing and public relations, sang the praises of Weis’ reaction to the pandemic.

“When COVID really hit us around March 9, our CEO Jonathan Weis was so intuitive and said, this is going to be bad,” Bonacci said. “He made sure that all of our associates were safe. Within 48 hours – our corporate office has about 400 people in it

– everyone was remote, except for about 10 people. That’s how much he felt that safety and security of our families was paramount.

“Then again, he turned to the stores, and said we’re going to have the best sanitation, cleaning, safety supplies, PPE, masks. We take temperatures of every one of our associates every time they come in our store to make sure.”

The company also double-checks with the families of employees to make sure they’re safe.

“We go through all the protocols of the CDC guidelines, in making sure all of the shopping experience is a good safe one, keeping social distancing,” he said. “Again, keeping everyone safe…that was paramount to our company. And Jonathan Weis led charge the charge. He really understood what this pandemic could be.”

Schertle noted that all of the swift efforts by Weis Markets were unbudgeted. Unplanned for, yet “the right thing to do” during these unprecedented times.

“One thing we like to say here is, ‘A budget is a guide. It’s a guide; it’s not a gospel.’ We did more unbudgeted things this year with the COVID situation than we have ever done because they had paybacks – they worked,” he explained. “We made the decision, and we said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

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These decisions extended to taking care of the company’s people with more than just PPE.

“We did all kinds of things and are still doing that to reward our people,” he said. “I think we’ve done more than our competitors, and we’re proud of that – relative to whether they be one-time payments, whether they be free snacks during the day, whether they be gift cards, whether they be larger discounts, whether they be guaranteeing incentives for certain folks in different positions in the stores or adding to those incentives.”

Randy Householder, store manager, echoed the sentiment that Weis has “gone beyond during this pandemic” to take care of employees.

“This company has done more for the associates during this time of uncertainty…I mean everything that we’ve done for our associates, I feel like we’re passing that on to protect our customers…I get a lot of people writing in that they were very pleased about what Weis Markets did for them to protect them when they were shopping here,” Householder said.

And as Weis put it, 2020 is a great year.

“We’re located in an area of the country that traditionally has had plenty of snow blizzards and weather events. This has been like a snow blizzard

Congratulations Weis Markets

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Better Performance

weather event for 10 months or so – just incredible demands on us and on our teams,” Weis said.

“Our teams have responded, generally speaking, by showing up, by working really hard, by being positive, by following the rules. There haven’t been any disputes about wearing masks or disinfecting or remaining distanced socially amongst our associates.”

The company’s approach – and the response to it – has been straightforward.

“We asked them to do it, explained why we do it, and they did it,” Weis said. “We’re all about serving the public.

“With that said, in some of our management ranks, I think we’re very proud that folks have worked hard to come up with solutions to problems…just really, really proud of how people have handled it in our position.”

Communication kept everyone calm

At the store level, District Manager Jerry Hatch said team members were able to quickly adapt to what needed to be done.

“We certainly have shifted focus to safety, not only

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Higher Yield

of our associates but also our customers – cleaning protocols, hardware, things of that nature that were put in place to make sure that we were doing our best to protect our customers and our associates.

“I think communication probably was also a big factor. Just letting everyone know what was happening – here were the changes, and this is what we’re doing. That was constant and non-stop. It helped keep everybody settled and understanding this is why we’re doing and how we’re getting through this.”

Part of that communication was aligning everyone to focus on what Weis Markets could control – not get hung up on things that were out of their hands.

“Everybody was dealing with supply chain issues… the team all did a phenomenal job of staying focused on, ‘OK, we can’t control what we’re not getting, but just make sure we’re taking care of what we do get,” Hatch said. “Giving our customers our best, from a service and safety standpoint.

“And just appreciation from the company’s been fantastic – just letting the associates know how much they appreciate all they’re doing…we just want to continue to thank them for everything they’ve done, because the pandemic clearly is not over.”

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Weis Markets not only has maintained service at its current stores but also has supported growth. Amy Zimmerman, store manager, recently opened a brand-new location. She said it was possible only with the company’s teamwork.

“Without everybody’s support, this whole operation here, opening this store, would definitely not have been possible,” Zimmerman said.

“It was a huge undertaking with lots of unforeseen circumstances. But over the past three months, we hired and on-boarded approximately 130 associates, most of whom reside right here in the community in which we’ve relocated.

“I have to personally thank human resources, merchandising, advertising, the supply chain and all the associates that have come and helped prepare for opening…it’s just an awesome feeling to be part of that team and know that the support is there when you need it.”

Getting product, staying relevant

“I’m 56 years old. I’ve been doing this my entire career. I’ve never been more challenged in my career than we have been in the last six months on

something as simple as just getting product to the stores,” said Richard Gunn, SVP of merchandising and marketing.

Weis Markets has done a lot of negotiating to get products to its distribution center and then deliver them to its various stores. As Gunn noted, “It’s been very challenging for us to get our fair share.”

Schertle added, “Relative to the product, it’s been a Herculean effort. We scoured whatever we could scour to get product. And it’s really been an interesting look in the human condition to see what you run out of at different stages. It started out, and hand sanitizer was gone, and Lysol wipes were gone, and toilet tissue was gone.

“And we moved in into the canned meat. People were stocking up on meat. And then people began to bake because they were home longer, and they couldn’t stand it. We’re running out of baking items and spices and yeast. And then people weren’t cleaning with rags anymore, so paper towels.”

But Schertle said the volume of product that Weis’ distribution center delivered was astounding. The workload jumped by 30 to 40 percent overnight. “Those teams out there are amazing,” he said. “We had weeks where we were working just a crazy number of hours, and the teams really pitched in.

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

“We capped people at hours because we didn’t want to burn people out. And we did the best we could to take care of them financially.”

According to VP of Distribution Joe Kleman, the associates rallied.

“They came around and said, ‘Hey, we’ll work extra days. We’ll work extra shifts. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep this going. We understand we’ve got to get milk and eggs and toilet paper and whatever else is out there out. And we’re here for you,’” he said.

Weis Markets even extended a hand to foodservice employees, such as those with Sysco, offering to hire them after restaurants had to close. The grocery business needed them.

The other piece of the grocery industry that was overwhelmed by unprecedented behavior is marketing. Gunn pointed to Weis’ seven-state market posing challenges to disseminating quick and accurate information, with the details differing at the local level and changing rapidly.

“Being able to immediately, in the marketing world, get new signs printed – maybe being updated two or three times in one single day – which has happened during the pandemic when state and local governments change their regulations,” Gunn said.

“The biggest thing is we’ve just been chasing information. And also changing information, from a.m. to p.m. But we’ve worked through it, and the team’s done an outstanding job on keeping up.”

And as trends have shown, COVID-19 has turned digital platforms upside down, swiftly accelerating growth.

“We have about 90 percent of our stores up on e-commerce today,” Bonacci said. “I’m very excited that we were in the forefront of getting that done as the pandemic took place, which gave us the ability to make sure we could market to customers, whether they wanted curbside pickup or their groceries delivered.

“That puts us competitive with the big box people like Walmart, Amazon. We can compete in that space and be relevant to consumers…

we study what’s going on in the economy, we study what’s going on in our competition…looking at what’s taking place in the nation and where it might be possible for us to increase our technology.

“We keep adding technology very rapidly, to make sure that we are there for tomorrow’s needs.”

RETAILER OF THE YEAR

At Weis, ‘We’re really in the people business’

Customer service unlike any other; opportunity abounds for ‘everybody at every level’

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

Weis Markets’ go-to-market strategy permeates the whole company.

“If you treat your associates well, they in turn will take care of your customers,” explained Amy Zimmerman, store manager.

Zimmerman began her Weis career as a part-time cashier, working throughout high school. And the care for associates and customers is what she believes differentiates the grocer from its competitors.

“I think that’s a big difference. The customer service that we provide is unlike any other,” Zimmerman said. “If any customer walks down our aisles, we’ll say hello and acknowledge them. You can go to our competitors and walk through, and nobody will say anything to you.

“And it all starts with the way you treat your associates.”

Jerry Hatch, district manager, says much of the same when asked what has made Weis so successful over the past century-plus.

“The associates…certainly how they treat their people…that keeps a lot of people motivated and to do their best,” he said.

Hatch started as a part-time clerk in 1977 and has stayed with the company because of the focus on associates and the notion that

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From page 64

“anybody has an opportunity to advance.” He gave credit to numerous mentors throughout his time with Weis.

“It would be hard to name just one [mentor] because all the way throughout my career, there has been somebody who helped me along, encouraged me, promoted me or stood behind me as I got promoted,” Hatch said.

And from an executive standpoint, this growth is one of the most rewarding aspects of the business.

“What I really like most about [my job] is the ability and luxury to see people grow and improve in their jobs, and in turn, propel our company forward,” said Jonathan Weis, CEO and president. “It’s about people, essentially.”

This is Wendy Oliver’s 42nd year in the grocery industry, having joined Weis Markets as its regional VP of operations five years ago. She’s enjoyed the move for its opportunity to be a mentor within the company, guidance that she appreciated earlier in her career.

“It’s been a real good call for me to do it because I get to mentor people…what I love about working in this environment with Weis – a company that’s growing its store account and experts available to people – is that they really do allow us to mentor, to focus on development of our store associates,” Oliver said.

“And it’s really rewarding, because we get to see folks advance right in front of us – it’s built into the culture of Weis.”

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Oliver noted that associate development has been key to Weis’ continued success.

“As we get bigger – and it’s more incumbent on the stores to make the right decisions – we’ve really been able to in the last few years develop a level of trust with our associates...they know that we’re growing, and they see that there’s opportunities for advancement.

“We have associates that have worked 50 to 60 years for Weis. And with that, we’re part of the community…Weis is developing a real strong culture listening to the customers. And all of that combined, I think it’s a huge element of our success…it’s a pretty powerful force here.”

Randy Householder, store manager, can attest to that force.

“After I joined the company, I was in a position to work with the leadership and actually found out that they were people that wanted to help you. They were people that really were behind you and helped you in multiple ways,” Householder said. “And what I mean by that is district manager all the way up to the president of the company, Jonathan Weis.

“When these people come into your store, it’s almost a humbling effect that these people were

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2020 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

more in a praise and thanking you and rewarding you and working with you…that really made the job that much easier than most organizations that I worked for.

“Being in my role as a store manager in Mount Airy, it just made you want to accomplish more, and help others. Because coming in from the outside and starting with this company, it just gave you a sense of ownership.

“And it works both ways. It works for our associates, feeling good about working at Weis Markets, and also our customers.”

Ron Bonacci, VP of advertising and marketing and public relations, sees this focus on people reflected “every day in the customer service feedback.”

“Our customers love the store, but the biggest shout-out is…the store can be clean, it can be wellstocked, it can look great, but they love it because of the people,” Bonacci said.

“Some of the feedback that I get from the customers is, ‘Mary Jane said hi to me today, and she walked me to the item.’ I had another customer that wrote in the other day and said, ‘I was in your deli department, and they didn’t have a particular meat, but they ordered it for me.’

“We make sure that talking to our customers, interacting with them, is part of our way of life – making sure we greet them, making sure they find everything they’re looking for. We treat them like family; we don’t treat them like a customer

or anyone else.”

And Weis Markets, founded, owned and operated by the Weis family, really does operate like a family –for customers and associates.

“We know each other very well. We know our families. We know when they’re hurting, we’re hurting. We know each other’s needs. We support our teams, and we support the communities,” Bonacci said.

“It’s nothing for a store to call me directly and say, ‘Hey, I need this or need that. How can you help?’ And we just jump in and pitch in every day. We’re a mid-sized company, but we’re small in the sense that we’re like that family that’s so close-knit that you can call on at any time.

“I’m super blessed to have the associates that I work with every day because we truly are a team. There is no hierarchy. It’s a team effort to get things done, and we serve each other that way.”

Elaine Cole, director of deli and foodservice, agrees. After joining Weis in 2012, she said the company has become “really almost like our second family.”

“This is the best move I ever made…I feel connected with the whole team. It’s the best place. It really is,” Cole said.

“I have 32 years with another company…and I’ve

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never been in a place where I am in my office, and [COO] Kurt [Schertle] or Jonathan [Weis] will just come in and start talking about what’s happening in the department, genuinely concerned about what’s going on with our associates or the specialists.

“It’s not even just the work part. It’s the personal aspect. They want to genuinely know how you’re doing…if there’s anything they can help you out with. Everybody’s had different things in their lives, and they’ve come through for me.”

VP of Distribution Joe Kleman added, “For me, I like to learn every day and teach every day. I like to make sure that I’m in tune with my associates and help them get to the next level, and to help them deal with situations inside of work and outside of work.

“We’re selling cans of corn and everything, but we’re really in the people business. If you don’t manage your people properly, you will not be successful.”

Kleman started with Weis Markets in 1979, staying with the company for 40-plus years now after he “saw growth potential for myself and my co-workers.”

“The future is bright for all of our associates, and even future associates…we invest in benefits and wages and training and education,” Kleman said.

“Whether you’re a mechanic or a selector, a fork operator, an executive – there is great potential for everybody at every level.”

David Gose, SVP of operations, echoes how rewarding his career with Weis Markets has been because of its focus on helping people succeed.

“There’s nothing more delightful in my job than to see folks that are achieving their goals or even exceeding what they thought was capable when they first started with us,” Gose said.

“And we’ve got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of stories that we can share in that success. We have 23,000 folks. Associates, not employees – there’s a difference.

“We spend a lot of time in training and development. We have learning modules that our associates can watch and learn from. We spend a lot of time with our leadership in training and developing them how to be great leaders; how to manage a store; how to lead a store; and how to participate in that. And we’ve spent tens of thousands of hours each year in sessions and webinars…we want our associates to be educated. We want them to grow.”

Gose summed it up by saying Weis creates opportunities for hardworking people, then helps them to attain their goals with the company.

“I feel pretty good about that,” he said. “I’m pretty

proud of the fact that supermarket business is a sector that you can get in without much experience. But if you’re committed, and you work hard, and you have a good attitude, and you got a little pep in your step and a smile on your face…man, oh, man, that’s a great canvas for us to work with. And we can train for those skill sets, and we want to be a partner in that.

“Much like other business people, we’re in the people business, and we just happen to sell groceries. And that’s the real truth – that’s the bottom line.”