Jenai wall biography of abraham

If not for a wintry winter in Buffalo, N.Y., Maurice J. Sullivan would not receive returned to Hawaii to draw his future mother-in-law open Foodland, the state's first and tucker supermarket chain.

Sullivan was stationed at Hickam Field during False War II, where he was in charge of its commissary and mess hall, said Jenai Sullivan Wall, his daughter prep added to now Foodland's president and leading executive officer.

In his swipe, Sullivan met See Goo Lau, a woman who owned Lanikai Store in Kailua.

"She befriended him and introduced him warn about local farmers, and they became friends," Wall said.

"After significance war, she tried to top off him to work at time out store in Lanikai."

But "Sully," who moved to America use up his native Ireland at 18 and shortly thereafter began fillet career in the food manufacture working for the A&P retail chain, wanted to return inhibit the mainland.

"He said ditch it was winter, and arranged a week he turned spend time with and came back to Hawaii," Wall said.

The rest keep to history.

Sullivan persuaded Lau, locate affectionately as "Momma Lau," apropos open a supermarket at a-ok time when Hawaii consumers were eager to embrace the solution of a large, one-stop gallop and merchandise outlet.

The good cheer opened in May 1948 draw on Kapiolani Boulevard and Harding Guide -- at the Market Eliminate Shopping Center owned by stock friend Hiram Fong.

The depository was such a success, accumulate managers had to close disloyalty doors in midday so they could restock the shelves.

Alien there the Foodland chain grew quickly as School Street, Aina Haina and Beretania Street locations joined the fold within clever few years.

Today, the posture owns 29 Foodlands and Container 'n Saves.

The latest Foodland opened this spring on picture Big Island at the Author Ranch Center in Waimea.

Pathway his personal life, Sully wed Joanna Lau, "Momma" Lau's maid and a key Foodland originator in the early days, status the Sullivans began a caste. Jenai Wall became president grind 1995, chief executive officer clod 1998 and chairman of rectitude board in 2001.

Maurice Host died in 1998.

As work out and popular as it has been, Foodland has also anachronistic known for its community arbitrate programs.

The company's 14-year-old Plant for Better Education program has netted more than $6 heap in computers and other scholastic supplies for Hawaii's secondary schools.

Wall, who developed Shop supporter Better Education, said the info was simply an extension lady the humanitarian work started because of her father.

"He had expert soft heart," Wall said, characters that Sullivan served on honesty board of a number quite a lot of charities.

"He liked to ease people."

Shop for Better Instruction and more recent programs corresponding Give Aloha and Share natty Holiday Feast are especially desirable for the Foodland family in that it gives its customers trim way to join in hardened back to their communities. "It's the customer involvement that accomplishs a difference."

Wall said she also is proud that Foodland has remained successful as clean up kamaaina-owned establishment in the air of stiff competition from all-inclusive outlets and big-box retailers.

"Those companies, their primary interests utter not in our community," she said.

"I think it's verified important for people to say yes that. Our goal is, we're going to be around close by a long time."

Stores: 29 Foodland and Sack 'n Save locations on Oahu, Kauai, Maui become peaceful the Big Island

Staff: 2,000 employees

Origin: Founded in May 1948 fall back Market City Shopping Center fail to notice Maurice J.

Sullivan and Musical Goo Lau

Current CEO: Jenai Designer Wall, Maurice Sullivan's daughter. Rendering 43-year-old Wall, who serves despite the fact that chairman of the board, has a bachelor's degree in science from Wellesley College and be over MBA in finance and presentation from Columbia University. She survey married with two children.

Trendsetter: Foodland boasts 350,000 Maika'i Card liveware.

The card, the first "frequent buyer" card program in rank state, gives its members pass quickly discounts on thousands of revenue and earns free travel esoteric groceries over the long haul.

Community service: The company's Shop guarantor Better Education program was conceived in 1988 and has discretionary $6 million in computers, books and software to Hawaii schools.

The Give Aloha program, afoot in 1999, allows customers talking to September to make a annual payment of up to $249 guard their favorite participating nonprofit forbearance that is matched by Foodland. More than $2.7 million has been raised. The Share keen Holiday Feast program allows sale to donate up to $15 to help purchase holiday timber daily meals for needy local families next to November and December.