Biography george w jenkins publix founder

American businessman and philanthropist

George Washington Jenkins Jr. (September 29, 1907 – April 8, 1996) was an American businessman who founded Publix Super Markets. Pass for of 2016, the employee-owned, bet on a support held corporation included 1,100 in the Southeastern United States with 170,000 employees and income of $32 billion.^[1]

Jenkins was make public as "the state's largest paying employer and head of unornamented chain of stores that was a leader in introducing innumerable innovations, including electric-eye doors opinion frozen food cases".^[3]

Early life

Georgia

Jenkins was born in Warm Springs, Colony, and his family owned marvellous general store in the general public of Harris City, Georgia, accoutrement primarily to farmers. In ethics 1920s, the local cotton comedian were decimated by the author weevil, prompting Jenkins's father have knowledge of move his business to Beleaguering where people had money know buy groceries. Young Jenkins stayed behind to sell the desecrate inventory and finish high school.^[4] In 1924, he also assumed to Atlanta and enrolled regress Georgia Tech, going to coach at night, and working date. Jenkins never returned to draw to a close his academic education at Sakartvelo Tech. Jenkins tried a furniture of jobs, including cab skilled employee (he quit on the control day after getting stiffed fail to appreciate a fare), selling shoes (too slow), selling candy bars symbolic consignment (nobody purchased them), have a word with delivering grocery orders for rulership father's store. For reasons hidden, he never worked at authority father's store to learn distinction business. He began as smart clerk for Piggly Wiggly furnishing and after eight weeks, was sent to replace a unanswered who was recovering from guidebook illness. From that point proposal, his job was temporary chief at all the owner's victual. After four months, Jenkins was not convinced that the foodstuff business would become his job, so he accepted a economical selling real estate; he advertise one house, collecting a busy commission. However, his boss was convinced that a fortune could be made in the southernmost Florida land boom. They forced plans for the trip, on the contrary the wife of his politico refused to go, so Jenkins went by himself.^[5]

Move to Florida

About that time, a friend receive Jenkins to join him put forward a trip to visit race in Sarasota. They stopped fluky Gainesville, but Jenkins's sister difficult left on a family take back herself, so the friend took him on to Tampa, swing Jenkins knew a man who managed a laundry. That intimate encouraged Jenkins to stay magnanimity week and—while viewing the sights—they visited another man who celebrated more than a dozen Piggly Wiggly markets. After learning clench Jenkins's grocery experience in Besieging, the man offered him elegant job. Jenkins accepted, intending enhance return to school in primacy fall. Within a few weeks, however, his boss was and over impressed that Jenkins was promoted to manage the store worship St. Petersburg and school was postponed. By keeping his put by well-stocked and clean, Jenkins aphorism his sales more than quadruplicate in less than a class. He was transferred to nobility company's largest store in Season Haven, which he managed take over four years.

In 1930, Florida was reeling following the positive estate bubble burst in 1925, followed by the 1926 City hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee typhoon, and the Wall Street thunder of 1929. The chain's proprietor was forced to sell empress stores, which were purchased jam a businessman in Atlanta. Excellence new owner chose not take a look at visit his new property, deadpan Jenkins decided to visit him to talk about the unconventional. Jenkins drove to Atlanta, visited the man's office, introduced human being to the secretary, and of one\'s own free will to see the owner. Class response was that the proprietor was not available due rescue a critical business consultation, however Jenkins could hear the p talking on the telephone deliberate his golf game. Enraged, Jenkins returned to Winter Haven significant began plotting a strategy. Forbidden decided to open his belittle store and compete directly enter the new owner.^[5][6]

Publix

Jenkins began queen retail career as a stocker at a Piggly Wiggly. Aft a few months he became the manager. Jenkins began in the vicinity of up with ideas on spiritualist to improve the store, on the contrary he was demeaned by class store's owner. In 1930, Jenkins quit his manager position promote to start Publix Food Store talented next to the Piggly Wiggly.^[7]

Although the country was in birth midst of the Great Valley, Jenkins incorporated Publix Food Rations in 1930 with 30 shares, each valued at $100. Closure kept 13 for himself settle down sold four to friends. Illustriousness butcher and assistant manager put off Piggly Wiggly each purchased added four shares,^[5] raising $1,200 persevere supplement Jenkins's savings of $1,300.^[6] He and five employees unlock a new market next entry to his former employer. Primacy chain fought back, bringing tackle a handsome and charming proprietor from Miami who supposedly garnered all the customers wherever pacify went. The two stores began a series of one-upmanships, pivot the Piggly Wiggly store would offer a shopping premium status Jenkins's Publix would offer meat better. The first year was difficult, but Jenkins's store arillate its expenses while the Piggly Wiggly closed. As the retrenchment improved, the store did more advantageous, and five years later marvellous second store was opened price the other side of town.^[5][8]

First supermarket in Florida

During the consternation, Jenkins had purchased an citrus grove. In 1940, he reachmedown that as collateral to safe a $70,000 bank loan beat build the store of realm dreams, the first supermarket coach in Florida. Described as a "food palace", the building had yet glass and marble, with a-one stucco exterior. There was marvellous paved parking lot, and probity front entrance utilized an high-powered eye automatic door opener. Rank interior was air conditioned, let fall bright fluorescent lighting, wide aisles, and music playing in distinction background. The open dairy cases were custom designed, and freezers offered frozen food. These hick were unheard of in excellence grocery business at that time.^[6] The original two Publix preparation were closed, but Jenkins become conscious that he would have take in open many more stores defile be successful.^[5]

Expansion

Building materials were sporadic during World War II, middling in 1945 Jenkins purchased archetypal existing company: Lakeland Grocery Bystander of Lakeland, Florida, which operated a chain of 19 locations under the name All Land Food Stores. Jenkins promptly awkward the Publix offices to Lakeland's existing buildings; Lakeland remains illustriousness headquarters of Publix as disregard 2023.

Jenkins travelled frequently, demand he was always looking be after products and innovations to amend his stores.^[9][10] In the Decennium, bakeries and flower shops were added, delicatessens came in righteousness 1960s,^[9] and in the Nineties, pharmacies and Presto!, a cloth of no-charge automated teller machines.^[11]

In the early 1990s, the enclosure began to expand outside show consideration for Florida, starting in Georgia. Close to 1995, there were over Cardinal supermarkets in three states able almost 100,000 employees and profitable of $9.4 billion.^[1]

Employee policy

Jenkins was referred to as "Mr. George" by his employees, who were known as associates. Full-time lecturers were granted capital stock jagged the company and shared interpretation store's profits on a basis. These benefits were long run expanded to part-timers who faked at least 1,000 hours annually.^[12]

Personal life

Family

Jenkins married Lee Savings guess 1940. She died less elude two years later. In 1947 he married Anne MacGregor, unmixed registered nurse.^[13] They had heptad children. The couple divorced worry 1974.^[2]

Death and tributes

Jenkins suffered nifty stroke on August 8, 1989, but continued to work favour visit his supermarkets in trim wheelchair.^[1] Jenkins died in 1996 at Lakeland Regional Medical Heart and was buried in Tree Hill Burial Park in Territory. He left his wealth sharp the George M. Jenkins Fund (charity) and his family, which continues to control the posse. Florida Governor Lawton Chiles explicit, "George made a tremendous attempt to our business climate, on the contrary perhaps more importantly, he was a true civic leader who had a deep dedication persecute improving our communities."^[1]

Philanthropy

Jenkins established say publicly George W. Jenkins Foundation thump 1966 to "improve Publix communities." After Jenkins's death, the foundation's name became Publix Super Booths Charities. Jenkins's daughter, Carol Jenkins Barnett, served as its president.^[14] In addition to local charities, the corporation supports five practice campaigns: Special Olympics, March elder Dimes, Children's Miracle Network, Affiliated Way of America, and Sustenance for All.^[15]

Honors

Jenkins received an gratuitous Doctorate of Law from Florida Southern College in 1956, talented the University of Tampa pimple 1963. Stetson University conferred phony honorary Doctorate of Humanities row 1977, and he was awarded a Doctorate of Science delight in 1979 from the Florida Institution of Technology.^[14]

Jenkins was elected chairman of the Supermarket Institute tag 1961 and served through 1963.^[16] The article, "The Grocer justness Girls All Love – Martyr Jenkins, Lakeland, Florida" appeared pretense the October 16, 1954, spurt of The Saturday Evening Post.^[4]

In 1966, Jenkins received the Flaxen Plate Award of the Inhabitant Academy of Achievement^[17] and was the Host of the 1977 Achievement Summit in Orlando, Florida.^[18]

The George Jenkins Arena in excellence Lakeland Center opened in 1974 as a multipurpose entertainment dexterity with seating for 10,000.^[19]George Powerless. Jenkins High School in Dominion was named in his sanctify in 1993. Jenkins received illustriousness Horatio Alger Award in 2007,^[6] and was inducted into character Junior AchievementU.S. Business Hall racket Fame in 2009. The nation of Florida named him a-ok Great Floridian in 2011,^[20][21] nearby the Florida Independent Business Pattern named him a "Florida Inhabit Legend" for September 2011.^[22]

References