If you live in New England, you know Market Basket isn't just a grocery store. It’s a culture. It’s a place where people stay for forty years, where "More For Your Dollar" is a lifestyle, and where the name Demoulas carries the weight of a local dynasty. But right now, things at the Tewksbury headquarters are, frankly, a mess. The latest ripple in a long line of corporate shocks involves Paul Quigley, a veteran district supervisor who has spent nearly his entire life with the company.
The news that Market Basket headquarters changes continue as Paul Quigley suspended has left employees and long-time shoppers asking a single, frustrated question: How did we get back here?
The July 4th Surprise
Imagine showing up to work at 5:30 in the morning on a holiday. That’s what Paul Quigley did on July 4th. He’s a guy who started bagging groceries 44 years ago as a teenager and worked his way up to overseeing 22 stores, mostly on the South Shore. Instead of a typical morning of logistics and store checks, he was handed a letter.
The board’s executive committee—Jay Hachigian, Steven Collins, and Michael Keyes—placed him on paid administrative leave. The reason? They called it "disruptive behavior." They claimed he was undermining colleagues and ignored warnings to stop.
But if you ask Quigley, he says he was just asking questions. He wanted to know the "end game." With CEO Arthur T. Demoulas (the legendary "Artie T") already on leave at that point, Quigley says the office felt like a ghost town. People were literally breaking down in tears in the hallways. He asked who was in charge and why the company was being "blown up" when it was already the top-rated supermarket in the country.
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A Pattern of Purges at the Top
Quigley isn’t the only one who got the boot. Honestly, it looks like a systematic clearing of anyone loyal to Artie T. The board has been aggressive. They aren't just suspending people; they’re issuing restraining orders.
- Joseph Schmidt (Director of Operations, 39 years) and Tom Gordon (Grocery Director, 50 years) were both fired and banned from stepping foot on company property.
- The board accused them of violating their suspensions by visiting stores without permission.
- Arthur T. Demoulas himself was finally fired in September 2025 after a failed mediation in Delaware.
The board’s narrative is that Artie T was planning a "work stoppage"—basically a repeat of the 2014 protests—to keep his "autocratic control." They claim they’re "safeguarding" the company. Meanwhile, the supporters, including Quigley, call it a "hostile takeover" or a "coup" by the Demoulas sisters, who own the majority of the shares.
Who is Running the Show Now?
With the old guard mostly sidelined or fired, the board moved to install Don Mulligan as the interim CEO in late 2025. Mulligan is a company veteran too—42 years—and was the long-time CFO. The board calls him the "voice of consistency."
It’s a strategic move. By picking someone who was hired by Artie T’s father, Mike Demoulas, the board is trying to signal to the 30,000 employees that the "culture" isn't changing. But many insiders are skeptical. Quigley even mentioned on a GBH radio interview that he fears this is all a play to "implant" Michael Kettenbach (son of one of the Demoulas sisters) as the ultimate successor.
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The Atmosphere at Headquarters
It’s heavy. Quigley described a "dark cloud" over the Tewksbury office. While the board insists that everything is "vibrant" and running smoothly, the legal filings tell a different story. There are lawsuits in the Delaware Court of Chancery, counter-claims about "secret plans," and a lot of high-priced lawyers from firms like Quinn Emanuel and Gunderson Dettmer walking the halls where grocery veterans used to chat about pallet counts.
Why This Matters to You
You might think, "It’s just corporate drama, why should I care?"
Well, if you shop there, you've probably noticed it. Maybe the shelves aren't quite as full, or the vibe in the store feels a bit off. In 2014, when this happened, the shelves went bone-dry because the warehouse workers and truck drivers refused to work without Artie T. This time, the board is trying to prevent that by "surgically" removing the leaders before a protest can start.
But a company like Market Basket runs on loyalty. When you suspend a guy like Paul Quigley—someone who literally moved his family across the state because the old boss asked him to—you send a message to every other manager: Keep your head down and your mouth shut.
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What Happens Next?
The legal battle is still heating up. Artie T isn't the type to go away quietly—he’s already filed counterclaims seeking reinstatement.
- Watch the Court of Chancery: The rulings in Delaware will decide if the board had the right to fire Artie T and the others for "insubordination."
- The "Interim" Label: See how long Don Mulligan stays "interim." If the board tries to bring in an outsider or a family member with less experience, expect the rank-and-file employees to get loud.
- Consumer Sentiment: People in New England are loyal. If they feel the "soul" of the store is being ripped out to satisfy a board's desire for oversight, they might start looking at Wegmans or Stop & Shop again.
The Market Basket headquarters changes continue as paul quigley suspended, but the story is far from over. It’s a classic battle between a "family" culture and "corporate" governance. Right now, corporate is winning, but in the grocery business, the real power usually sits with the people in the aisles.
Keep an eye on the weekly flyers. If the deals start fading or the service slips, you’ll know the "vibrant culture" the board keeps talking about is more PR than reality. For now, the best thing you can do is support the local staff who are caught in the middle of this billionaire-bracket feud.