From a young age, Jordan Coe remembers how her family instilled in her a commitment to serving others and making them feel welcomed.
She would help entertain guests during her grandmother’s weekly Saturday dinner parties. In her parents' home she was expected to help greet visitors at the door, take their coats, help fix their drinks and feed them.
“In my family, we always did everything we could to make people feel welcome.”
Today, as president of Waverly Markets, which operates ShopRite grocery stores in East Hartford, Manchester and Vernon, Jordan draws on those past experiences to make customers feel at home in her family's stores and help her staff understand the importance of making people feel valued when they’re shopping.
She and her family (her parents remain active in the business and her brother, Zachary Cohen is Director of e-Commerce and Merchandising) also have expanded on that concept of service by staying involved with local charities and organizations in the communities where they do business.
“We come from a very close knit family and we grew up learning the importance of service,” Jordan says.
She says she didn’t set out to become the head of her family’s retail business. She earned a Bachelor's Degree from Boston University and thought about moving to Italy, which she fell in love with after spending some time there. But she came back to her parent’s home instead so she could work on her post graduate degree and started working as well in her family's business.
“I moved home and said I’ll work at home in the business for a year and then apply to MBA programs. It felt like a great fit to continue working while getting my MBA. And as it happens in life, where you have all these intentions, I never left. I got very involved in the community and I think that just kept me here. I started working on local boards of nonprofits and coordinating volunteer efforts with our staff.”
Jordan, her family and their business have maintained those strong ties with the local communities, organizations and nonprofits. They’ve also consistently encouraged their staff to take part in those community efforts as well.
“It’s always a good day when I have someone on our team or in our community approach me and say ‘Hey Jordan, there’s an organization that needs help. We try to find a way to join forces.”
Waverly Markets works with CT Foodshare and their associated food pantries and kitchens in the region. They are supporters of CT Children’s Medical Center, where Jordan serves on the Steering Committee for the CT Children’s Connection, and they also partner with local organizations that address workforce development, homelessness, mental health and addiction, cancer research and, of course, food insecurity that many others experience.
She also serves on the board of Wakefern Food Corp, the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. It comprises 50 member companies - including Waverly Markets- who independently own and operate their own supermarkets. She is currently on the board of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and a Commissioner with the Economic Development Commission in the Town of Vernon. Staying connected to the needs of the community is at the heart of Waverly’s Purpose - to care deeply about people, helping them to eat well and be happy.
Waverly Markets is involved with the local chambers of commerce in each of the communities where the company owns a ShopRite store, including the CT River Valley Chamber of Commerce. Last year the chamber gave Jordan its Business Person of the Year award.
“Aside from continuing a legacy that spans four generations in the food business, Jordan has a passion for workforce development and spends a large portion of her time helping to create opportunities for youth in her business and community,” the chamber said in granting the award.
“In addition, Jordan spends a great deal of time supporting sustainability initiatives particularly as it relates to food insecurity, offering free nutritional services to schools, community organizations, Waverly Markets’ associates and customers and engaging in partnerships that address and create awareness for some of the toughest challenges faced by her community with regard to hunger and health and wellness.”
Jordan and her husband, Christopher Coe, have four children between the ages of 2 and 12. Despite her busy and diverse professional life, her priority, she says, remains taking care of her family.
“I have a very strong work ethic and I’ve worked diligently to achieve my goals, but I try to stick to my priorities and for me it always comes back to family, it’s my foundation in everything I do.”
Waverly Markets operates these ShopRite stores in our region
31 Main St., East Hartford
214 Spencer St., Manchester
35 Talcotville Road, Vernon
shoprite.com