Tracie Levin, M. Levin & Company, Inc.

Tracie Levin is part of the fourth generation at M. Levin & Company, Inc. BB #:104129, based in Philadelphia, PA. Founded in 1906 by Michael Levin, Tracie’s great-grandfather, the company is a longtime banana distributor and pioneer in ripening.

Today’s business, located at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, still revolves around bananas and tropicals, but handles a full line of fruits and vegetables for customers in the East, Midwest, and South. We talked to Tracie about her family’s long legacy in the fresh produce industry, her current role at the company, and what the future will bring.

Q: Tell us about your education and when you started at the company.

I attended the University of Delaware where I studied sociology with a concentration in law and society, and also business. I graduated in 2006 and started working full-time for the company shortly thereafter.

Q: What’s one of your fondest memories of growing up around the market? 

I have vivid memories of my Dad (Mark Levin) bringing me to the old market (and our old warehouse on Pattison Avenue) when I was just a few years old. He used to go down on the weekends to check shipments of produce that had arrived.

Sometimes he would also take me to work with him when I was off from school and I remember sitting in his office, drawing in the manual ticket books—before we had computers—hard to fathom these days!

I remember the hustle and bustle of the market as well as all the noises and smells: horns honking from the forklifts and pallet jacks, loud customers (and employees) yelling and joking around, and the smells. I remember thinking the market was exciting and unlike any other place in the world—and I still think this—you have to have been here or worked here to truly understand. 

I remember thinking the market was exciting and unlike any other place in the world—and I still think this—you have to have been here or worked here to truly understand. 

Q: What were your original career aspirations? Did you always plan to join the family business? 

I always knew I wanted to join the family business, however, my Dad made it clear I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. He actually warned me about the it—saying the family business is not for the faint of heart. He taught me the work is never done and the importance of having a good work ethic.

Q: Tell us about the fourth generation: all women, destined to lead the company. Are you excited about the prospect? 

The fourth generation is women dominated! My father’s generation (third) all had daughters who decided to join the business. We do have a male in the fourth generation as well; my husband joined the business almost a decade ago, where he currently heads up our sales team.

Q: Tell us about your current responsibilities and what they entail.

I wear many hats at work on a daily basis. I’ve done many different jobs over the past almost 20 years I’ve been with the company.

When I first started full time, I remember sweeping floors in the warehouse as I learned to ripen bananas. It’s a rite of passage every Levin learns, as it’s the foundation of our business.

I’ve also worked in sales and procurement, business development, food safety, human resources, finance and accounting, as well as operations management.

Currently I’m focused on operations management. I’m also involved with the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market’s board of directors, serving on the executive board. I’m the first woman in the history of the Philadelphia market to sit on the board.

I’m also involved with the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market’s board of directors, serving on the executive board. I’m the first woman in the history of the Philadelphia market to sit on the board.

Q: What do you enjoy most? What’s most difficult? 

I truly enjoy it all—even though it truly never ends when I leave the office. I also like knowing that the responsibility rests with me to chart the path forward for the future, to make and implement changes to lead us to success down the line. It’s a great deal of responsibility but I find it very rewarding.  

The most difficult thing is trying to define the line of a good work/life balance. Working in a family business means seeing your family and working with them both in and outside of work. Even conversations over dinner have a way of blending back into work.

Q: As a longtime banana supplier, do bananas still represent the majority of company business?   

Bananas still represent a large part of our business; however, we have diversified over the last 119 years and carry an extensive line of fresh fruit, vegetables, and tropical produce.

Q: How many ripening rooms are there?   

M. Levin & Company has 14 ripening rooms of various sizes within our units at the Philadelphia market. Some of our rooms hold multiple loads of fruit, other smaller ones may just hold one load at a time. Aside from ripening bananas, we also ripen plantains, mangos, and avocados.

Q: How many countries do you import bananas (and other tropicals) from?   

We ripen bananas from all of the major banana importers. Most bananas that come our way are from Central America. Our tropicals and other fresh produce items are sourced from all over the world, from coast to coast in the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, China, South Africa, India, Brazil—the list goes on.

Q: How much impact are tariffs having on imports? 

Trade tariffs are having an impact on all of our products grown outside the United States, and yes, this includes bananas, since they cannot and will not ever be grown commercially here due to our climate. Our suppliers have passed along the tariffs, and we’ve built them into our prices—unfortunately, for the end consumer, this means they’re spending more on these items at grocery stores. 

Evolution and growth go hand in hand. We’re always looking at growth opportunities—if you don’t choose to evolve you become stagnant and this allows others to surpass you.

Q: What’s the ratio of conventional to organic in bananas and other fruits and vegetables? 

We primarily sell conventional produce; however, we do sell organic bananas regularly. We also carry certain lines of organic items, but they don’t make up the bulk of our sales.

Q: What technology tools have become indispensable to doing your job? For the company as a whole?

Computers and phones—I can’t imagine having neither of them at work these days. We’re a society of constantly connected people; the verdict’s out whether this is good or bad—depends on who you ask, or maybe when you ask that person. 

The technology of our ripening rooms is also something that has come so far since we started. We used to ripen our bananas in underground cellars, then in unpressurized rooms where we “watered” the floors and used tarps to cover the bananas. Today, our now pressurized, tarpless ripening rooms allow us to monitor ripening from our phones.

Q: Do you see expansion in the company’s future? If so, in what ways? More value-added items? Other tropical fruits or vegetables? New or extended service offerings? 

Evolution and growth go hand in hand. We’re always looking at growth opportunities—if you don’t choose to evolve you become stagnant and this allows others to surpass you. In this competitive environment, it’s important to always be looking for ways to improve on how you do things. We’re currently expanding our delivery reach as well as increasing our capacity for ripening.

Q: Where do you see yourself by the end of the decade? What personal and professional goals would you like to achieve? 

Always growing, always moving forward. Outside of work I have a young family: two daughters, Olivia (age 7) and Ava (age 5)—they’re my world. They know I’m often very busy with work but I also make it a point to be equally present for them.

I can only hope that I’m instilling the value of hard work in them—just as my father taught (and continues to teach) me. 

Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?

Running a business is a lot of work and responsibility, it’s a fully encompassing thing—physically and emotionally. If you’re wiling to put in the time and effort, you’ll see growth.