TEWKSBURY, Mass. — Former Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas shared his first personal statement on Thursday since he was fired by the Tewksbury-based grocery chain last week.
Demoulas didn’t mention his own firing in the statement, but instead addressed the “alarming” and “disheartening” firings of three other longtime Market Basket employees,
“These firings are alarming in that they continue to break down the fabric of Market Basket. Paul Quigley, Adam Deschene, and Esteban Alvarez are three exceptional men who each dedicated their professional lives to Market Basket. They are talented grocery store operators who are tremendous contributors to Market Basket’s success and to its culture,” Demoulas said. “They are well-respected and admired colleagues. Paul Quigley devoted 44 years to Market Basket, and as a Regional District Supervisor, he played a central role in the development of all stores on the South Shore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Adam devoted 19 years to Market Basket and Esteban 30 years, each holding a stellar track record in the Operations Department. These terminations are disheartening and a major loss for the Market Basket team.”
Justine Griffin, Demoulas’ spokeswoman, released an initial statement on his behalf after the Market Basket board voted unanimously to remove him from his role as president and CEO.
Griffin called the board’s move a “farcical cover-up for a coup.”
Demoulas was put on leave in May after the company’s board accused him of planning a work stoppage.
In the ensuing weeks, several executives loyal to Demoulas were fired, including Joseph Schmidt and Tom Gordon, who were both banned from setting foot on the grocery store chain’s property.
Schmidt and Gordon also called their firings a “pre-planned coup” spearheaded by the three Demoulas sisters, who are majority shareholders in Market Basket.
Earlier this week, Market Basket announced that Donald T. Mulligan, a 42-year veteran of the company, would be taking over the role of chief executive officer on an interim basis.
Market Basket has 90 store locations in New England and employs tens of thousands of people.
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