Last updated on June 13th, 2024
Jim Crosby, a model representative of an independent retail owner with a sense of community service and good business knowledge, will receive the Massachusetts Food Association (MFA) 2018 Person of the Year Award this weekend.
Crosby is chairman of the board and owner and operator of Crosby’s Marketplace, a seven-store supermarket operation in Concord and northeast Massachusetts. He will receive the award during its 37th Family Convention and Reunion at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
He will be presented with the Milton W. Segel Distinguished Service Award for all the contributions he and his company have made to the association and to the success of the MFA Family Reunion Convention.
“On behalf of the board of directors of the association and my associates, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Jim for his well-deserved honor and recognition,” said MFA Chair Michael Gold of Big Y Foods. “We are pleased to recognize his long involvement and contributions to the association and to our convention year after year and are delighted to be honoring him with the Milton W. Segel Distinguished Service Award,” he added.
Crosby joined the MFA board of directors in 2003. He became a vice-chair of the association in 2008 and served as chairman of the board from 2010 until 2012. Jim remains on the association’s board and also serves on its executive committee.
“MFA has a longstanding relationship with Jim, his family and associates. He and his family are constant attendees at the association’s annual convention. We are extremely grateful to him for his continued participation through the years in our convention and the association. He has been instrumental in the continued success of the event and of the MFA,” said Chris Flynn, MFA president.
A graduate of Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Jim worked his way through college on a five-year co-op plan with Star Market.
Following graduation, he continued with Star Market going full time and working his way up the ladder to various positions including store manager, merchandise manager, employment manager, district manager and director of retail operations for 31 locations.
In 1980, Star Market became both a wholesaler and retailer and was willing to spin some of its smaller stores. Jim had the opportunity to purchase a location in Concord, and the first store of Crosby’s Marketplace was born. In the following years, Crosby’s Marketplace expanded with additional locations in Salem, Georgetown, Marblehead, Manchester by the Sea and Hamilton, Massachusetts.
Three years later, Henry’s Fine Foods of Beverly was added to the company that allowed for the development of a central kitchen, central bakery and expanded catering operations.
Today, Crosby is chairman of the board of his company that has grown into seven stores and 600 employees. Since his original Bachelor of Science degree, he has continued on in education with an MBA from Babson College and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Salem State University.
His community service has included work on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and the North Shore Medical Center Cancer Walk.
Crosby is a former Business Person of the Year recipient voted by the Salem and Marblehead Chamber of Commerce and is past recipient of the Michael J. Ruane Community Service Award. He is a recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration Entrepreneurial Success Award for Massachusetts, New England and the U.S.
This year’s MFA convention theme is “MFA’s Rock Around the Clock – the ‘50s”, with a category focus of natural, organic, specialty, healthy and ethnic foods. Many of the weekend’s events will celebrate the theme and category focus throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
