James Cullen Jr. Becomes King Kullen Chairman

The board of directors of independent grocer King Kullen Grocery Co. Inc. has appointed James A. Cullen Jr. chairman following the retirement of previous chairman Ronald Conklin, who began his leadership position on the board in 2006 as co-chairman. Conklin will remain on the board as chairman emeritus.

Cullen, a member of the board’s executive committee, is the grandson of King Kullen founder Michael J. Cullen and the son of James A. Cullen, who was King Kullen’s chairman until his death in 1974.

“On behalf of the entire King Kullen organization, I want to thank Ron Conklin for his many years of service and innumerable contributions to King Kullen,” said King Kullen President and COO Joseph W. Brown. “Ron was already a longtime board member when he succeeded his late father-in-law, John B. Cullen, as co-chair. We look forward to his continued involvement with King Kullen as chairman emeritus. I also want to congratulate Jim Cullen on his new role as chairman. For many years, Jim headed up King Kullen’s real estate department and helped steer the company’s growth. As chairman, he will continue to guide our organization through a number of strategic initiatives. This is an exciting period for King Kullen, and I look forward to working with Jim on these various projects.”

Founded in 1930, King Kullen is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket. The Hauppauge, N.Y.-based company operates 29 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores in Nassau and Suffolk counties on New York’s Long Island.