The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) kicked off spring with some exciting news—we’re gearing up for our 70th anniversary celebration!
Time flies by. Since 1952, PFMA has proudly served and supported the commonwealth’s food and beverage industries. Over the next six months, we’ll be sharing more about our history, evolution and success, ultimately celebrating the anniversary as part of our Fall Legislative Conference Oct. 25 and 26 in Hershey.
It’s amazing to think about how PFMA has grown since that first meeting among independent retailers at an Erie, Pa., hotel in 1952. During the meeting, they accepted a charter from the National Association of Retail Grocers and named Paul Reitz of Riverside Market association president. The association first served 400 retailers from its Erie office, assisting with supermarket promotions, providing the PFMA Bulletin Service newsletter, and sharing industry news.
When reflecting on the history of the association, it’s incredible to realize what PFMA has accomplished for its members. Over the years, PFMA launched Pennsylvania Coupon Redemption Services, created the Scanning Certification Program and established Merchants Express Money Orders (MEMO), now one of the nation’s largest money order companies.
PFMA grew support and membership when merging with the Pennsylvania Grocers Association in 1986 and with the Pennsylvania Distributors Association in 2016.
The association formed its first political action committee—FoodPAC of Pennsylvania—in 1976 and opened a satellite office in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1979 to increase its presence in the state capitol. Almost 10 years later, PFMA moved its offices to Wormleysburg, just across the river from Harrisburg.
Our first convention was held in Pittsburgh in 1960, growing into an event with a trade show, educational programs, networking opportunities and Pennsylvania’s Best Bagger contest. Today, we host our Annual Conference in June and the Fall Legislative Conference in October, providing valuable opportunities for members and sponsors to gather and discuss important industry trends.
We also funded the Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship in 1996 with Pittsburgh Association of Manufacturers Representatives (PAMR) and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council, providing hard-working students with scholarship money to continue their educations. To date, 600 students have received Ridge Scholarships, totaling more than $1.1 million.
Today, the association continues to communicate and innovate, holding webinars, soliciting member feedback on timely issues, advocating for legislation that works for our membership and sharing news through publications, social media, the website and our Shelf Confidence podcast.
PFMA now serves more than 800 corporations and 4,000 retail stores that represent more than 250,000 employees in Pennsylvania.
The support of our broad and longstanding membership has allowed us to advance the interests of grocery stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, consumer packaged goods companies, lottery and gaming organizations and more—ultimately benefitting Pennsylvanian businesses and consumers. We look forward to sharing more during this celebratory year and continuing to serve and support the industry for many years to come.