Meet Molly Devanney, Vice President of Highland Park Market

Whenever I went into over the past few years, Molly Devanney always was at the front end greeting customers, or in the customer service office. Lately, I haven't seen Molly in the store, and found out that she now has the title of Vice President of Public Relations, which perfectly fits her outgoing personality. Molly agreed to talk about her work with her family's business and about the charitable work she is involved in. 

Timothy Becker: Molly, when did you first get involved in the family business?

Molly Devanney: When I was 14, I was told to get to work. I started in the produce department so that I could learn about all the different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Some of the vegtables I never had at home and I was unfamiliar with them, especially the ones that my Dad didn't like. Next, I became a cashier at age 15. A few of the employees that I worked with at that age are still with us. I also have seen many of our customer's families grow up. When I was home from vacation from college, I worked in the customer service office. Occasionally, I was assigned to work in the Glastonbury or Farmington store, which I really liked, because most of the employees didn't know who I was.

Timothy Becker: Highland Park Market is known for supporting many local charities. Can you talk about a few of the charities that you are involved in helping?

Molly Devanney: We have established a foundation called the Highland Park Families Foundation. We are working on raising funds through a golf tournament. I serve on the Board of the Mayor's Program for Manchester Children. I'm also on the Board of the and I Co-Chair the Public Relations Committee for MARC Inc. We have our MARC Bowl-a-thon coming up next week.

Timothy Becker: I remember in the 1970s that the store was much smaller, and that there was no exterior sign anywhere. Is there a story about the lack of a sign?

Molly Devanney: It is a tradition that is 125 years old. We are the third family to run the store and my brother Tim and I are the third generation of our family to manage the store.

Timothy Becker: Did you study business management in school?

Molly Devanney: After graduating from St. James Elementary and East Catholic High School, I studied marketing and communications at Bryant University in Rhode Island and earned a B.A. degree. I went into the financial services industry for a few years and found out that it wasn't what I wanted to do. I decided to get into a graduate program in food marketing at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia where my brother Tim was studying. That is where I found my passion. I earned a M.A. Degree and came back to work in the store in Manchester.

Timothy Becker: What is the biggest challenge in competing with the big chain supermarkets and warehouse stores?

Molly Devanney: The challenge is to not do what they are doing. We focus on quality and customer service. Our employees really care about our customers.

Timothy Becker: What other activities are you involved in?

Molly Devanney: I teach a two-semester course at Manchester Community College. In the fall, I teach hospitality marketing including developing a marketing plan. In the spring, the essence of the course is customer service.

Timothy Becker: What do you like most about managing Highland Park Market?

Molly Devanney: I have a passion for being in the food industry. I love it. The business is changing every day. We allow our customers to call in an order and we deliver it. We also have a website for online shopping. We pick out 20 to 30 online orders every week and we deliver 30 to 40 call-in orders every week at the Manchester store. We are helping our customers to care for their families.

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