Inserra Supermarkets
20 Ridge Road
Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
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Media Contact: Evelyn Weiss Francisco / evelyn@caryl.com / 201-796-7788
Family-Owned Grocery Chain Continues Steady Growth
MAHWAH, N.J., March 24, 2016 – To mark its 62nd anniversary, Inserra Supermarkets recently honored 229 associates, who have a collective total of 4,435 years of service, at an awards celebration. The honorees were recognized for their milestone anniversaries, ranging from 5 to 50 years of service at the company’s 22 ShopRite stores located in New Jersey and New York.
“Our milestone celebration is always a special night for the entire Inserra Supermarkets family as we show our appreciation for the loyalty and dedication of our associates,” said Lawrence Inserra, Jr., chairman and CEO of Inserra Supermarkets. “I am very proud that Inserra Supermarkets is ranked among the top 75 food retailers and wholesalers in North America for 2016.That achievement is a true testament to the hard work of our associates at our stores each and every day.”
Established in 1954 by Patsy Inserra as a privately-held family business, Inserra Supermarkets remains true to its roots as a family-owned grocery chain. In 1980, under the entrepreneurial guidance of the late Lawrence Inserra, 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 in Bayonne, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Hoboken, Jersey City, Lodi, Lyndhurst, New Milford, Northvale, North Bergen, Palisades Park, Ramsey, Wallington, Wayne and West Milford in New Jersey, and in Garnerville, New City, Stony Point, Tallman and West Nyack in Rockland County, N.Y.
“As we honor 229 associates for 4,435 years of service, the numbers also tell the story of great leadership from three generations of the Inserra family,” said Ron Onorato, president and COO of the Mahwah, N.J.-based company. “That strong history of leadership has made Inserra Supermarkets into the company it is today.”
Company Spotlights Two Associates with 50 Years of Service
During the celebration, Inserra Supermarkets paid tribute to Mario Barca of Clifton, N.J. and Russ Oyer of Stony Point, N.Y., both of whom are retiring in 2016 after 50 years of service. And that’s not all they have in common. The two men started with the company as clerks at the young age of 16 – Barca at ShopRite of Hasbrouck Heights and Oyer at ShopRite of West Milford.
When Barca was just a teen, his father passed away, leading him to quit school in order to pay some of the family’s bills. Barca dedicated himself to work, becoming a manager at the Hasbrouck Heights store by the age of 18. He worked in a number of stores through the years, including ShopRites of Lyndhurst, Fort Lee, Northvale, Fair Lawn and Little Ferry.
“I have so many wonderful memories of working here and of the Inserra family,” recollected Barca, who emigrated from Calabria, Italy. “Back in the early ‘80s, I was injured while playing semi-pro soccer. Without my asking, Larry, Jr.’s dad stepped in to help my family and me out. I also have fond memories of when Larry, Jr. was a young child and would visit the stores with his dad. I would follow Larry, Jr. around the store to make sure he didn’t get hurt. He was always on the move!”
Oyer also reflects on the tight-knit community at the Inserra ShopRite stores. “The family atmosphere and camaraderie is something unique,” said Oyer. “For years, many of us would get together after work to play softball at nearby parks.”
During his career with Inserra Supermarkets, Oyer took on a range of roles, primarily in the grocery department, and served in various management-level positions at numerous stores. Those include ShopRites of Little Ferry, New City, New Milford, Northvale, Spring Valley, Tallman and West Haverstraw.
As one of the region’s largest employers, Inserra Supermarkets provides full- and part-time positions to more than 4,800 associates. The company is also widely acknowledged as a good corporate citizen committed to improving the lives of local residents, and supports numerous non-profits, including Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Table to Table, the first food rescue program serving Northern New Jersey.
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Photo caption: (l-r) Seated are Russ Oyer and Mario Barca, both honored for 50 years of service. Standing are Lawrence Inserra, III; Marie Inserra; Laura Inserra-DuPont; ; Lawrence Inserra, Jr.; Carl Inserra, Jr. and Ron Onorato.