Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

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Template:Infobox Company Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 70-store U.S. regional supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. The family-owned company, founded in 1916 by John and Walter Wegman, is headquartered in Rochester, New York.

Wegmans has been named one of the "Top 100 Companies to Work For" in America by Fortune Magazine every year since the inception of the list in 1998, ranking first in 2005 and second most recently in 2006.<ref> Robert Levering, Milton Moskowitz, Maura Griffin Solovar, "The 100 Best Companies To Work For In America", Fortune Magazine. January 12, 1998. </ref><ref> "The 100 Best Companies To Work For: With labor in short supply, these companies are pulling out all the stops for employees.", Fortunate Magazine. January 10, 2000. </ref><ref> "Smucker tops 'Best Companis' list: Fortune magazine names jam and jelly maker new No. 1 company to work for in 2004.", CNN/Money.com. December 29, 2003. </ref><ref> "Wegmans tops best employers list: Fortune launches eighth annual list of '100 Best Companies to Work For', CNN/Money.com. January 10, 2005. Last accessed on March 26, 2006. </ref> Danny Wegman is CEO. His daughter Colleen Wegman is president, while his father Robert Wegman, who passed away on April 20, 2006, was chairman.<ref>Robert Wegman, of Wegmans Markets, Dies The Washington Post. April 20, 2006</ref>

Many of Wegmans' newer stores are of the "superstore" or "megamarket" type, with very large square footage, a large variety of foods aimed at an upscale market, and in some cases, Market Cafe in-store dining areas.

Wegmans is the parent company of Chase-Pitkin, a regional home improvement retailer. On October 4, 2005, it announced that it will close all Chase-Pitkin stores by early 2006 (due to inability to efficiently compete with Home Depot and Lowes that have established a presence in Chase Pitkin's market area) and focus on its highly-successful supermarket operations.

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Store count by area

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Company facts

  • Owns and operates the largest egg farm in New York State, with capacity for over 750,000 hens. [1]
  • Donated over 14 million lb (6,000 t) of food (350 tractor trailers) to local food banks and food pantries in 2004. [2]
  • 31st on the 2004 Supermarket News list of the Top 75 Supermarkets based on sales volume; ranked 7th among privately held U.S. supermarkets.
  • On Forbes's 2005 list of the "Largest Private Companies in the U.S.," Wegmans ranks 54th.
  • The #1 company to work for in Fortune Magazine's "Best Companies to Work For" in 2005.
  • Wegmans is the marquee sponsor of the Rochester Wegmans LPGA tournament. [3]
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Criticisms

Wegmans has been criticized regarding the treatment of hens on its egg farm in Wolcott, New York.

In July 2005, the Rochester-based animal-advocacy organization Compassionate Consumers criticized Wegmans for labeling their eggs "Animal Care Certified," and accused Wegmans of animal cruelty. Compassionate Consumers released a 30 minute DVD documentary allegedly showing the poor treatment and living conditions of Wegmans' hens. [4] The film "shows hens wandering over heaps of manure and the group's investigators removing corpses from wire cages and freeing injured hens whose heads, feet or wings were snagged in the wire-grid 'battery' cages," according to an article in the local newspaper.

Wegmans responded that their facility meets or exceeds the standards suggested by the United Egg Producers’ independent committee of animal science experts.<ref> "Wegmans Egg Farm", Official Statement from Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., November 14, 2005. Last Accessed on March 25, 2006. </ref> In November 2005, the New York State Police investigated the farm, and no charges against Wegmans were filed. Benjamin Lucio-Martinez, a Cornell University veterinarian and researcher retained by Wegmans to inspect the chickens, has said that the farm is "among the best in the country. It's a very clean operation and they follow good practices."<ref> Corydon Ireland, "Activists take on Wegmans: Chicken-cruelty charge and video rebuffed by execs, others.", Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. July 2, 2005. </ref> Wegmans has pressed third-degree burglary charges against the filmmakers. Wegmans also sells eggs from certified organic farms that use uncaged hens, as an alternative.

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References

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External links

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