In 1970, Weis Markets planned to launch ten new markets. With the explosive growth in the chain, it also saw explosive growth in sales, with $50 million in sales in the first quarter of the year. In the same year, two students received grants from Weis Markets and were named the first recipients of the Sigfried Weis Scholarship. This showed Weis Markets’ devotion to the community by supporting local initiatives and creating community outreach programs to further strengthen the communities that they served.
By 1972, Sigfried Weis was named by the Governor of Pennsylvania on the state committee of tax reform. Additionally, Weis Markets kept up with its growth and bought Sunbury Seafood. The chain in 1973 also bought land along Route 15 near Lewisburg to build a new store. Additionally, in 1974, Weis opened a huge 26,000-square-foot store in Allentown, its sixth store of that year.
CITIZENS OF THE YEAR
In 1975, both Sigfried and Robert Weis Won Citizens of The Year in Sunbury
1976 was another milestone year for Weis Markets as opening its 92nd store in Hughesville brought the company closer to the coveted 100-store mark. Momentum grew as Weis unveiled plans for a massive 450,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in Milton. Building on their success, Weis added six new locations in Pennsburg, Clarks Summit, New Holland, Weigelstown, and Mifflinburg. By 1977, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the latest state-of-the-art Sunbury Frozen Food Distribution Center, laying the foundation for a brand new, five-acre shopping center in Danville, continuing their growth and innovation.
Officials of Weis Markets (Sigfried and Robert sitting left) purchase 50 acres of land in Milton (September 1976)
Robert Weis, Al Yearick, Sigfried Weis, Mike Rising, and Michael Rheam study blueprints of frozen food warehouse in Sunbury (April 1977)
In February of 1978, Weis Markets opened its 99th store in Mountain Top, PA. However, this store was notable for its new focus on energy conservation and environmental control systems, highlighting Sigfried Weis’ commitment to innovation and sustainability. By implementing these systems, Weis Markets aimed to reduce operational costs and contribute to environmental efforts and efficiency. Just one month later, on March 14, 1978, Weis opened its 100th market in Palmyra, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion and the chain’s steady growth and commitment to providing groceries to communities throughout the region.
In 1981, Claire Weis, the mother of Sigfried and Robert Weis passed away. Her estate of $3.9 million was used to construct a new performing arts center at Bucknell, furthering the impact of Weis Markets beyond the grocery business and the community not just at Bucknell but around it, too. In addition, December of 1981 marked 36 years that Weis Markets was distributing a share of its profits to its employees. During that year, Weis had over 6,400 employees, opened four new stores, and enlarged six existing stores while also adding 900 employees. This made the Weis name among the richest in the United States, with Sigfried and Robert Weis attaining over $200 million net worth.
Claire Weis’ $3.9 million estate is donated to Bucknell University (Daily Item: May 1981)
Sigfried Weis named chairman to the board of directors of the Geisinger Foundation (Daily Item: December 1981)
Weis Markets Christmas bonus shares (Daily Item: December 1981)
By 1984, the chain planned to open several new stores, renovating Milton’s facilities and expanding warehouse space in Northumberland. As the year came to a close, Weis reported a net income of $55.3 million, another 10% increase from 1983. The company also reached record sales exceeding $957.7 million, up 7% from the previous year. With such success, the chain announced plans to open four more 40,000-square-foot stores and enlarge nine more. That same year, Sigfried Weis had accumulated a net worth of over $350 million and, in 1986, was named on the ‘Forbes 400‘ list among the nation’s wealthiest. 1985 also marked another year of success within the chain as the markets issued over one million to its employees, marking 40 consecutive years of sharing profits with its employees. At this point, Weis was operating 123 stores throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and West Virginia, becoming one of the largest and most successful supermarket chains in the United States.
From its beginning in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Weis Markets has become one of the most successful supermarket chains in the United States, with over 200 markets stretching across the eastern part of the country and 119 of those stores being in Pennsylvania alone, being one of the staple supermarkets that Pennsylvania residents go to and buy their groceries. The leadership and vision of the Weis family and their commitment to employees and communities showed why there was such sustained growth in the company over several decades. As the chain expanded beyond Pennsylvania, it maintained strong connections to the communities it served and accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars. Today, net sales are reaching nearly 5 billion for the supermarket chain, and it continues to show dedication to its employees and the customers that it serves.
In 1981, Claire Weis, the mother of Sigfried and Robert Weis passed away. Her estate of $3.9 million was used to construct a new performing arts center at Bucknell, furthering the impact of Weis Markets beyond the grocery business and the community not just at Bucknell but around it, too. In addition, December of 1981 marked 36 years that Weis Markets was distributing a share of its profits to its employees. During that year, Weis had over 6,400 employees, opened four new stores, and enlarged six existing stores while also adding 900 employees. This made the Weis name among the richest in the United States, with Sigfried and Robert Weis attaining over $200 million net worth.