Managers rejoice at Salem Market Basket

SALEM – David Webber has been with Market Basket for 35 years and has been the store manager of the store on Highland Avenue in Salem since it opened 13 years ago.Webber was at an entrance of the store at 8:30 Thursday morning with some of his employees cleaning up an area that for the past six weeks was decorated with Arthur T. support signs.?I can?t even explain how happy we are today,” said Webber, who commutes to the Salem store every day from his home in Atkinson, N.H. “It?s an emotional day but it?s filled with so much joy that we can welcome back all of our employees. Our part-time employees haven?t worked for the last three weeks and our customers haven?t shopped here for almost the last six weeks.?We are just overwhelmed today,” Webber added, “that employees combined with customers actually won a battle of this sort over corporate.”Webber said the entire summer saga has been trying for everyone involved, but that the past week, in particular, “has been a roller coaster like I?ve never experienced before – one day you?re expecting something good to come, and then you?re let down the next, but it?s all topped off by today, though.”He said he learned of the sale of the company to Arthur T. at about 10 p.m. Wednesday.Webber said he expects the Salem store to ramp up fairly quickly.?Four or five days is a good estimate, but we do have Labor Day weekend coming up, and we?d like to be set up before then,” he said. “We?ve already been in touch with our office and talking to some of the people who haven?t been with the company for the past six weeks about getting loads here, so I think you?re going to see by Saturday we?re going to be in pretty good shape.”Salem Market Basket department manager Felimai Collado, who has been with the company for 23 years, also expressed elation over the outcome of the Demoulas family battle.?I couldn?t even sleep last night,” he said. “And I woke up my kids early today to tell them.”