The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) hosted its 2025 Fall Legislative Conference on Oct. 7-8 at the Hershey Country Club, drawing attendance from industry leaders, lawmakers and policy experts for two days of dialogue, legislative updates and connection.
A highlight of the event was Keynote Speaker Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, who delivered a dinner address reflecting on his personal journey and emphasizing the critical work underway to combat organized retail crime. PFMA has been a vocal supporter of these efforts and the growing collaboration between law enforcement and the food and beverage industry.
“We were proud to bring together such a strong mix of public and private sector leaders,” said Alex Baloga, PFMA president and CEO. “This conference continues to show that when it comes to legislation, regulation and industry issues, PFMA is invested, informed and ready to lead.”
Major programming highlights included:
- State Policy Update: Featured a bipartisan panel with Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris and House Republican Appropriations Chairman Jim Struzzi. Both spoke to the current state budget landscape and legislative priorities for 2025.
- Federal Policy Update: Tackled tariffs, regulations and federal advocacy priorities with panelists Jennifer Hatcher (FMI), Stephanie Johnson (NGA) and Sarah Gallo (Consumer Brands Association).
- Alcohol Update: Led by R.J. O’Hara of Flaherty & O’Hara, the program focused on recent and upcoming changes to Pennsylvania’s alcohol laws.
- Wholesalers Meeting: Brought together members for a session on supply chain and wholesale market issues.
Throughout the event, members shared positive feedback on the programming, networking and access to top-tier insights. The turnout reflected a continued desire among food and beverage professionals to stay ahead of emerging policy developments at the state and federal levels.
About PFMA
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, a statewide trade association, advocates the views of more than 600 c-stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. PFMA members operate more than 3,000 stores and employ more than 350,000 people.