Markon Celebrates Major Milestones Throughout 2025:40 Years of Delivering Quality Produce, 20 Years of Summit Success, and 10 Years of Chef Collaboration
December 12, 2025 | 3 min to read
Salinas, California — Markon Cooperative proudly commemorated a landmark year in 2025, celebrating three significant anniversaries that reflect the company’s enduring commitment to quality, education, and industry partnership.
Founded in 1985, Markon was created to elevate the fresh produce experience for foodservice operators by establishing specifications and standards tailored to their unique needs. Over four decades later, Markon continues to drive innovation and deliver the highest quality produce to its five cooperative member companies and their customers across North America.
“In 1985, our founders set out with a clear mission to raise the bar for fresh produce in foodservice,” said Andy Hamilton, CEO of Markon Cooperative. “Forty years later, that focus remains unchanged. We are incredibly proud of our role in driving quality, consistency, and value on behalf of our members and the foodservice operators they support. This milestone year reflects both our history and our strong future ahead.”
In August, the excitement continued with the 20th anniversary of the Markon Summit. Launched to support member sales teams with deeper product knowledge and stronger tools to grow fresh produce sales, the Summit has evolved into a dynamic learning and relationship-building event. This year’s program demonstrated the powerful value of collaboration among members, suppliers, and Markon staff.
“We measure success by our ability to strengthen the entire supply chain,” said Mark Shaw, Vice President of Operations. “The Markon events embody the collaboration, transparency, and innovation that make Markon unique. Working hand-in-hand with members, customers, and grower-shippers truly elevates the experience behind every case of produce.”
The milestone year concluded with the 10th Annual Chef Summit in October. Designed for immersive culinary education, the three-day event brought member and operator chefs into the fields and facilities where Markon produce is grown and processed. The program culminated with a Taste of Markon, a farm-to-table dinner at Rancho Cielo, raising more than $35,000 to help support future culinary leaders and marking the highest fundraising total in the event’s history.
A highlight video capturing the spirit of Markon’s 40th anniversary celebration is available to share the organization’s legacy of leadership in food safety, product differentiation, and supply chain excellence.
Markon extends sincere appreciation to its members, supplier partners, customers, and culinary community for their continued support. The cooperative looks ahead with enthusiasm as it continues to evolve and deliver exceptional produce solutions for decades to come.
For more information on Markon, please visit www.markon.com.
About Markon
Markon Cooperative, Inc. brings a fresh approach and thinking to all its premium farm-to-table produce, including the Markon First Crop®, Ready-Set-Serve®, and Markon Essentials® product lines so that foodservice operators can offer the freshest ideas to their consumers. Based in Salinas, California, and nationally known as leaders in quality, consistency, and convenience, Markon serves as the produce purchasing, logistics, information, and marketing partner for its five member distributors (Ben E. Keith Foods, Gordon Food Service, Gordon Food Service Canada, Nicholas & Company, and Shamrock Foods) and their North American foodservice customers. Markon continues to introduce new, time-saving products and innovative packaging based on the needs of our member and operator customers. Learn more about Markon’s commitment to providing the highest-quality, safest, and freshest produce at Markon.com.