Shoppers will find a blend of heritage and progress when shopping Klein’s Family Market’s nine ShopRite stores in Maryland. Whether shopping a Klein’s store in a larger city like Baltimore or a smaller town like Cardiff, customers will find a broad selection of Maryland-grown and -made products (and everything else they need) in modern stores featuring the latest in technology.
Celebrating 100
It’s no wonder heritage is strong at Klein’s Family Market; it’s been forged over the course of 100 years. The enterprise began as a farm store in Fallston, notes Marshall Klein, a member of the fourth generation at Klein’s, currently serving as president.
Marshall’s great-grandfather Maurice “Mo” Klein operated the farm/general store with his son Ralph. When Ralph was drafted into the Army during World War II, they decided to close the store, and Mo and wife Sara moved back to Baltimore City. When Ralph got out of the Army, they went back into retail, opening this store in the town of Forest Hill. Forest Hill is in Harford County, same as the Fallston store. Ralph and his wife Shirley – who was not a cookies-and-milk type grandma but a savvy businesswoman who used red ink on reports to circle numbers that weren’t up to par, Marshall recalls – lived right up the street from the store. The couple had three sons who all worked in the business, Andy, Michael and Howard. Two of the sons, Andy (Marshall’s father) and Howard are deceased; Michael continues as chairman and third-generation owner of the company.
Marshall works with his sister Sarah Klein as well as cousins Stephen, Jacob and David Klein as members of the fourth generation. Marshall’s 8-year-old daughter is the oldest member of the fifth generation…