BILL DANIELS
President and Co-owner, United Markets

United Markets has always been a family business. Since its founding in the mid-1950s to when Bill Daniels and Bob Musante purchased the stores, a commitment to service and the Marin community has guided the operation.

That commitment was never more evident than last year, when a long­time employee of the company and friend lost his battle with cancer. Bill sat down with his partner and mapped out a plan of action. He took the courageous step to ban cigarette sales from United Markets.

As a business owner, it's often difficult to make decisions that can adversely affect the bottom line. For Bill, stopping cigarette sales was the obvious and right choice to make.

The community reaction to the decision has been overwhelming, with letters and phone calls continuing to come in. In fact, United Markets has become a model of success for other markets across the country on how a neighborhood business can in fact make a lasting and important impact on the community it serves.