Jim Ukrop, Richmond business leader and former Ukrop's CEO, dies at 89

Jim Ukrop, a prominent Richmond business leader and former CEO of Ukrop's Supermarkets, has passed away at the age of 89.

Ukrop was instrumental in expanding his family's grocery chain from a modest establishment founded during the Great Depression into a regional institution with dozens of locations across central Virginia. Alongside his brother Bobby, he led the company for decades, maintaining a distinct business model characterized by high customer service standards and specific family convictions, such as closing on Sundays.

Beyond the grocery industry, Ukrop made significant contributions to the financial and investment sectors. In the late 1990s, he helped co-found First Market Bank, which was later sold to Atlantic Union Bank. Following the sale of the family's supermarket business in 2010 for approximately $140 million, he transitioned into venture capital by founding New Richmond Ventures.

Local and state officials, including Richmond Mayor Danny Avula and Governor Abigail Spanberger, praised Ukrop for his profound impact on civic leadership, public education, and the revitalization of the Richmond community.