Inserra Supermarkets Honors 408 Associates for Combined 5,335 Total Years of Service

Honorees Employed at ShopRite Stores throughout Northern New Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y. End Quote

Bergen-Passaic, NJ (1888PressRelease) May 21, 2012 - Inserra Supermarkets, one of the largest supermarket chains in the metropolitan area, is celebrating 58 years of service and quality excellence by honoring 408 associates for their combined 5,335 years of distinguished service. The honorees were recently recognized for their milestone years-of-service anniversaries, ranging from five to 50 years, at a reception held at the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel.

"These very special individuals inspire all of us at Inserra Supermarkets to carry on the legacy of our founder - my grandfather - Patsy Inserra, each and every day," said Lawrence Inserra, Jr., president and CEO of the Mahwah, N.J.-based company. "Even though the supermarket business is much different than it was when we opened our first store in Lyndhurst almost six decades ago, our associates continue to make the communities in which our stores are located a better place to shop, work and live."

Established in 1954 by Patsy Inserra as a privately held business, Inserra Supermarkets remains true to its roots as a family-owned grocery chain committed to serving families and children. In 1980, under the entrepreneurial guidance of the late Lawrence Inserra, Sr., the company grew to eight stores and experienced a banner year in 1981, growing to 14 stores. Today, the company owns and operates 22 ShopRite supermarkets located in Bayonne, Columbia Park, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Jersey City, Lodi, Lyndhurst, New Milford, Northvale, Palisades Park, Passaic, Ramsey, Wayne and West Milford in New Jersey and in Rockland County, N.Y., in Garnerville, New City, Stony Point, Tallman and West Nyack.

Among this year's honorees were William "Billy" Gordon of Pompton Lakes and Henry "Hank" Garofalo of Lyndhurst, both of whom marked 50 years with the company. Gordon, a former meat department manager in Lyndhurst and Ramsey who now conducts technology-related in-service programs at all of Inserra's stores, and Garofalo, a former produce manager in Lyndhurst who is the receiving manager in Hackensack, have forged a lifelong friendship.

"I have been fortunate enough to be part of this family-oriented company for all of these years and have made good friends who are as close to me as my own family members," said Garofalo, who also met his wife of 43 years, Jean, at the former Hasbrouck Heights store. She now works at the Lodi store.

"I was at Hank's wedding and we have shared many, many things over the years," added Gordon. "Friendship and family - from the stock people to the managers - is what working at Inserra Supermarkets is all about. This philosophy has been passed down through the generations by the Inserra family and is something you just don't see anymore."

Recognizing the company's greatest strength is its associates, Inserra Supermarkets is proud to offer a wide range of career opportunities and flexible schedule options that promote long-term employment. "I was always encouraged to expand upon my skills through the years and am proud to have been able to balance my career with motherhood," said Maryann Focarino, a 40-year honoree and assistant manager of the Palisades Park store. "I am happy and proud to work for the Inserra family because they are wonderful, caring people." The North Caldwell resident started with the company at age 16 as a cashier when grocery items were priced by hand with a stamper.

This year's 40-year anniversary honorees also included Dana J. Campbell of Hillburn; Robert Chudzik of Lodi; James Dombrowski of North Arlington; Lawrence Horowitz of Hewitt; Edward Kempf, Jr. of Englewood; Marilyn Minarovich of Wood-Ridge; Robert Padluck of Washingtonville; and Mark D. Walker of Ramsey.

The 35th anniversary celebrants were Thomas G. Bossard of Hewitt; Judith Collins of New Milford; Joanne Dloughy of Spring Valley; Douglas Henderson of Kinnelon; Laurene A. Maggio of Franklin; and Gail Pellot of North Arlington.

The company also recognized 391 associates who achieved 30-, 25-, 20-, 15-, 10- and 5-year milestones [click here for a list of honorees by hometown]. Inserra Supermarkets is one of the region's largest employers, providing full- and part-time positions to more than 4,000 associates who reside throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Inserra Supermarkets is widely acknowledged as a good corporate citizen dedicated to making life better for those in the surrounding neighborhoods in which its supermarkets are located. Philanthropic activities have benefited business associations; education, including public and private schools and universities; churches and temples; health and wellness organizations and hospitals; food pantries and soup kitchens; and other non-profit organizations. Examples include the Wyckoff YMCA, Greater New Jersey Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Mahwah Education Foundation and Table to Table, the first food rescue program serving Northern New Jersey.

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