Robert Weis, former chairman of Weis Markets, dies at 96

Robert Weis, the former chairman of Weis Markets Inc., Sunbury, Pa. — a food retailer operating 163 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia, and generating $2.8 billion in revenues in 2014 — passed away at the age of 96, the retailer said.

Weis’ father and uncle opened their first store, known as Weis Pure Foods, in Sunbury, Pa., in 1912. In the years that followed, they opened more stores throughout central Pennsylvania. Early in his life, Weis worked in his family’s stores, where he stood on a box to operate a cash register in his younger years and later bagged produce and delivered groceries to customers, Weis Markets said.

After graduating from Yale University in 1941, Weis was drafted into the U.S. Army. At the end of World War II, Weis and his cousin Sigfried returned from the armed services to work for their respective fathers’ company. Early in his career, Weis worked in various positions, including operations, distribution, marketing, procurement, human resources, real estate and store construction. Ultimately, he would oversee the company’s finances, real estate and store construction, the retailer said.

In the subsequent decades, Weis helped oversee Weis Markets’ growth and expansion into six states. In 1995, Weis became chairman of Weis Markets Inc. Since 2009, his company has made record investments in its growth, acquiring 11 units, upgrading more than 100 stores and opening nine new stores, Weis Markets said.

In 2001, after a multi-year dispute with the heirs of Sigfried Weis, who attempted to force a sale of Weis Markets, Robert Weis directed a repurchase of the company's stock. He subsequently became the company’s largest shareholder. This move solidified the company’s strategic direction and helped preserve more than 18,000 jobs, including more than 1,000 in the Sunbury area, where Weis markets continues to operate a store support center, distribution center, and milk, ice cream and meat plants, the retailer said.