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The TJX Companies, Inc.

Off-Price Apparel and Home Fashions RetailFounded 1987
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded TJX Companies?

Bernard Cammarata · Founded 1987 · HQ today: Framingham, Massachusetts

Who founded TJX Companies?

TJX Companies was founded by Bernard Cammarata in 1987. It is now led by Ernie Herrman.

Founders
Bernard Cammarata
Founded
1987
Headquarters
Framingham, Massachusetts
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Ernie Herrman (since 2016)
Where was TJX Companies founded?
TJX Companies was founded in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States in 1987.
When was TJX Companies founded?
TJX Companies was founded in 1987.
Who started TJX Companies?
TJX Companies was founded by Bernard Cammarata.
How old is TJX Companies?
TJX Companies is 39 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

TJX's roots go back to Zayre Corp., a Massachusetts discount chain whose Feldberg family founders traced their business to 1919. In 1976 Zayre recruited Ben Cammarata, Marshalls' general merchandise manager, to build a rival off-price chain, and the first T.J. Maxx opened in Auburn, Massachusetts in 1977. Zayre formed The TJX Companies as a subsidiary in 1987, sold its discount stores to Ames in 1988, and reorganized in 1989 with TJX as the successor company. TJX then bought Winners in Canada (1990), launched HomeGoods (1992) and TK Maxx in the UK (1994), and acquired Marshalls from Melville Corp. in 1995. Later additions included Sierra Trading Post (2012) and Australia's Trade Secret (2015), which was converted to TK Maxx.

Bernard Cammarata

Co-founder 1976

Background

Cammarata was general merchandise manager at Marshalls before Zayre Corp. recruited him in 1976 to build a rival off-price chain.

Role at The TJX Companies, Inc.

Ben Cammarata launched T.J. Maxx for Zayre Corp., opening the first store in Auburn, Massachusetts in 1977. He went on to lead TJX as its chief executive and later chairman, overseeing the Winners purchase, the HomeGoods and TK Maxx launches, and the 1995 Marshalls acquisition that created the Marmaxx division. Bernard Cammarata was born in 1940.

The TJX Companies, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

John Klinger

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

2021 – Present

As CFO, he strictly enforces the company's industry-leading inventory turnover rates, ensuring the business never holds stale merchandise.

Ernie Herrman

Chief Executive Officer and President

2016 – Present

Joined TJX in 1989 and rose through merchandising roles; President since 2011 and CEO since January 2016. Under his leadership annual net sales grew from about $31 billion in fiscal 2016 to $60.4 billion in fiscal 2026.

Carol Meyrowitz

Executive Chairman; CEO 2007-2016

2007 – 2016

As CEO from 2007 to 2016, she guided the company through the devastating 2008 recession, during which TJX captured massive market share from failing traditional department stores.

Bernard Cammarata

Founder of T.J. Maxx; former CEO and Chairman

1976 – Present

He served as the first CEO of TJX and the primary architect of its off-price model, overseeing the crucial acquisition of rival Marshalls in 1995.

Keep researching TJX Companies

Who Founded TJX Companies? FAQ

Who was the primary founder and creator of T.J. Maxx and The TJX Companies?

Bernard Cammarata (1939–2023) is celebrated as the founder of T.J. Maxx. In 1976, he was recruited by Zayre Corp. to conceptualize, launch, and lead an off-price retail chain, creating the modern TJX enterprise.

What was Zayre Corporation and who founded it?

Zayre Corp. was a pioneering discount department store chain founded in Massachusetts in 1956 by cousins Stanley Feldberg and Sumner Feldberg, whose family had operated the Bell Hosiery Shops business since 1919.

Why did the Feldberg family decide to launch an off-price chain in 1976?

Recognizing that Marshalls was achieving explosive success by selling branded department store apparel at discount prices, the Feldbergs recruited Bernard Cammarata from Marshalls to build an off-price competitor within Zayre.

Where did the name "T.J. Maxx" come from?

The name was conceived by Bernard Cammarata and Zayre leadership. They combined the initials "T.J." (evoking friendly, traditional American retailing) with "Maxx" (evoking maximum value and maximum brand selection).

What was Bernard Cammarata's career background before founding T.J. Maxx?

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Cammarata started his retail career as a stock boy at Macy's, rising through retail ranks at J.W. Mays before becoming general merchandise manager of women's apparel at Marshalls.

Where and when did the first T.J. Maxx stores open?

The first two T.J. Maxx stores opened their doors in March 1977 in Auburn and Worcester, Massachusetts, featuring simple, low-cost fixtures packed with designer overruns that sold out within hours.

How did the Feldbergs handle the decline of Zayre's core discount stores?

As Zayre's traditional discount stores struggled against Walmart and Kmart in the late 1980s, the Feldbergs spun off TJX as a separate public company and sold Zayre's department stores to Ames, preserving the thriving off-price business.

What core operating principles did Bernard Cammarata establish at TJX?

Cammarata established the core tenet of "open-to-buy liquidity"—never committing full seasonal budgets in advance, paying suppliers promptly in cash, and maintaining total discretion to protect designer brand relationships.

How did Cammarata foster an employee-centric corporate culture?

Cammarata emphasized treating store associates and buyers with mutual respect, offering performance profit-sharing, and establishing an internal promotion ladder that allowed stock clerks to rise to senior corporate buyers.

What philanthropic and civic legacy did Bernard Cammarata leave?

Cammarata donated millions to children's charities, cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and retail education programs at Babson College and Harvard Business School.

What honors and industry recognition did Bernard Cammarata receive?

Cammarata was inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame and honored with the National Retail Federation's Gold Medal Award, celebrated as one of the most consequential retail innovators of the 20th century.

How is the founders' legacy honored at TJX corporate headquarters today?

TJX maintains the Bernard Cammarata Global Leadership Center at its Framingham headquarters, where new buyers are trained in the timeless opportunistic merchandising strategies he pioneered.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.