...a local, family-run food distribution company owned and operated by
Ben Olewine, III. His family has a long
history in the foodservice industry. In 1900, Mr. Olewine's grandfather,
Ben, Sr., started a corner grocery store at Fifth and Dauphin Streets
in Harrisburg. He
expanded his corner grocery business in 1910 to include
a stall at the
Kelker Street Farmers' Market. When the
Kelker Street
Farmers' Market
closed in the 1920s,
Olewine's moved to the Chestnut
Street Farmers'
market and then to the East Harrisburg Farmers' Market. As
the
market side of the business expanded, so did the role of
Ben
Olewine,
Jr., who was Mr. Olewine's father.
In 1958, Ben,
III,(pictured left) took
over control of the business
and
immediately began a series of changes.
First, he moved into the
institutional foods field. Second, he introduced
the Olewine's label,
making quality the company's trademark and he changed
the name of
the
company to Olewine's, Inc., using the motto 'The House
that
Quality Built'. This new strategy brought a rapid increase in business
and
by 1965, the warehouse at Fourth and Vaughn had to be expanded
to
handle frozen foods as well. Olewine's had now become a full-service
institutional food distributor.
The
year 1976 brought yet another change, the move to a modern
distribution
center at 4000 Industrial Road in Harrisburg, By this time, the
company
stocked 3,000 items and served national accounts as well as
local customers.
Sygma, a division of Sysco,
currently operates from
this location. In
the early 70's, John Baugh, the founder of Sysco, began
a dialogue with
Mr. Olewine about the possibility of Olewine's, Inc.
becoming a part
of Sysco. They kept in touch on a regular
basis for
the ensuing years
and finalized the deal in December of 1988.
Olewine's, Inc. became Olewine's-
Sysco on December 6, 1988. In 1992,
Mr. Olewine became Chairman Emeritus
of the company and began
to enjoy more time playing tennis in Florida
during the winter months.
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