Bob LaBonne, Jr., owner of LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury, is a 5th generation meat cutter who started working with his parents at age 8. Over many years he and his family have expanded their business to include 4 stores in Connecticut.
Bob LaBonne Jr.
Twenty-six years ago Bob bought the Salisbury store. He’s found that it's been the hardest location by far to recruit local staff. LaBonne explains, “Because of this barrier, we have been forced to employ more full-time associates, which is much more costly to operate, as compared to our other locations with a abundance of part-time students, moms and retirees. This hurts our flexibility of scheduling and for coverage for sick calls and vacations. It's hard to pull someone in quickly when they live far away.”
LaBonne continues, “My employees would all love to live in Salisbury if they could afford it…. Every town needs a downtown population to keep its businesses and center vibrant. As long as we do it right, do background checks and offer short-term leases…. there is a huge upside for well-done affordable homes in Salisbury.”
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 3/3/16.