“A true visionary with a life philosophy of hard work and caring for people that was felt by all whom he touched”
Kevin S. Murphy, 58, passed away on January 31, 2013 at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.
Kevin is survived by his mother Marilyn Murphy, brothers: Thomas D. Murphy Jr., Patrick Murphy, sister: Sharon Triolo and his son TJ Murphy and daughter-in-law Christine Murphy.
He was born on April 20, 1954 in Wayne, NJ to Marilyn and Thomas D. Murphy. He attended Wayne High School and worked as a printer for Drum Litho after graduating.
Kevin’s food career started at Balducci’s in Greenwich Village in the 1980’s when he married Ria Balducci, daughter of owner Andrew Balducci. He was trained in every department, learning the food business from the ground up. He expanded and finally took over Balducci’s small wholesale division called “Baldor” in 1991.
He moved his new company to a tiny warehouse in Long Island City, Queens and ran the operation with one van and a couple of delivery trucks. Baldor grew incrementally from there. The next move was to a larger facility in Maspeth, Queens where more staff and trucks were added. In 2000, he took over a large facility on Barry Street in the Bronx, minutes away from the Hunts Point Market.
In 2007 an opportunity arose to take over an abandoned city-owned warehouse in the South Bronx. It covers over 188,000 square feet and sits on 7 acres in the Hunts Point peninsula. Kevin gutted the building, redesigned it and added dozens of trucks to service the tri-state area with fine specialty foods.
In 2006 Baldor Boston opened its doors in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Baldor Boston is currently moving into a larger newly constructed building slated to open in March of 2013. In 2012 Baldor opened a branch just outside of Washington, D.C. Today Baldor delivers throughout most of New England, all of the tri-state area and the mid-Atlantic region.
As of today, Baldor employs over 800 employees and operates a fleet of over 200 delivery trucks.
Kevin’s vision and ambition changed the trajectory of the lives and the families of more people than will ever be known.
God bless him – he was and will remain an inspiring person that will be greatly missed.
Source: Baldor Specialty Foods
