In 1998 Jeremy Waldman walked through Bishop’s Orchards’ doors at the age of 21. Previously he was working at Frank’s Nursery and Crafts in Branford, where he worked for Randy Perham, our current Grocery Team Manager. His youthful energy and charisma made him stand out and he quickly became part of the team. Who would have thought that Randy would be the one to hire Jeremy at both Frank’s Nursery and Bishop’s Orchards, and now having worked 20+ years together?! Over time Jeremy worked his way up within the Bishop’s rank. Being a utility player worked in his favor, landing him positions as the Assistant Produce Manager, Fresh Grocery Manager, Front End Supervisor and Assistant Store Manager. Jeremy’s current position is Market Team Manager, a title he has now held for 8+ years.
As the Market Team Manager, Jeremy is responsible for maintaining most of our staff. From hiring and training new employees, to keeping the current employees happy and safe, he is the Au Pair! “The one part of my job that I get a fair amount of joy out of is bringing in the new employees and really preparing them, I guess you could say, for the rest of their lives. Moreover, having somebody that you can see has some deficiencies, whether it be, their shy or their work habits aren’t great, being able to transform those employees in to active, productive team members, for me, that is the most important part of my job.”
Jeremy acknowledges the fall season as the time of year when the most attention and accommodation is needed. There is a huge increase in foot traffic, which means there is a need for more employment than usual. The process of hiring new employees for the fall, begins in early August. Swamped with resumes and interviews, Jeremy’s biggest challenge that he faces is making sure to monitor the staff on a day to day basis, evaluating their work while also providing the affirmation to keep them happy and safe. There is nothing he loves more than finding employees that are looking to sink their roots into the company, furthering their growth both professionally and personally. “The business has already grown immensely since we started in 1871, but there is still plenty of room left to grown,” says Jeremy. “The potential to do other things is incredible, it just comes down to facilitating those means.”
Jeremy, alongside additional management staff, look forward to one day possibly incorporating a deli, outside ice cream stand or another expansion on the farm market. “There are so many things we do well and that we can continue to expound on. The team and support the company has right now, is making a huge difference and we are all excited to see the direction we are headed.”