Search results
George Washington Jenkins Jr. (September 29, 1907 – April 8, 1996) was an American businessman who founded Publix Super Markets. As of 2016, the employee-owned, privately held corporation included 1,100 stores in the Southeastern United States with 170,000 employees and sales of $32 billion.
George Jenkins was one of eight children born into the Jenkins family in Harris City, Georgia. Born on Sept. 29, 1907, to George W. Jenkins Sr. and Annie S. Nelson Jenkins, he was known from a young age to be a go-getter. Many may be surprised to learn that the grocery business was a part of our founder’s life long before he dreamed of Publix.
- An American Success Story
- Putting People First
- Foundation For The Future
On Sept. 6, 1930, George Jenkins opened his first store, called Publix Food Store, in Winter Haven. In 1935, he opened a second location across town. He closed these first two stores to open his dream store, the first Publix Super Market, on Nov. 8, 1940. A "food palace" of marble, glass and stucco, this store included innovations such as air condi...
As Publix supermarkets continued to spring up across the Southeast, improving to include delis, pharmacies, and even cooking schools, the company never veered from Mr. George's original philosophy of treating employees and customers like family. Our thousands of cashiers, baggers, meat cutters, and bakers are the company's largest collective shareh...
Today, Publix has grown from a single shop into a sprawling collection of more than 1,300 supermarkets that brought in $48 billion in 2021. The values and philosophies established by George Jenkins are still in place and serve as the foundation for our mission of being the premier quality food retailer in the world. Explore our photo timeline.
The first store Mr. George opened was in downtown Winter Haven, Florida. The idea for the name came from a chain of theaters Mr. George was fond of. He liked the name, so he decided to open his own store with the corporate name Publix Food Stores, Inc. Doors opened on Saturday, Sept. 6, 1930. His little store turned out to be very successful.
Sep 15, 2024 · The History of Publix. 1 min read. Lauren Cabral. September 14, 2024. In the 1920s, George W. Jenkins moved from his native Georgia to Florida and began working at Piggly Wiggly. He quickly rose up the ranks, moving from stock clerk to manager in just a few months. After a years-long stint managing the grocery chain’s largest store in Winter ...
Mar 5, 2014 · Publix Super Markets started in Winter Haven as a small, self-service grocery store in 1930 and now is one of the largest employee-owned businesses, with more than 1,000 stores in six states with ...
People also ask
When did George Jenkins start a grocery store?
Why did George Jenkins start Publix?
How did Publix get its name?
Who started Publix?
Is Publix owned by the Jenkins family?
Was Publix the complete supermarket?
Sep 29, 2007 · Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of George W. Jenkins, founder of the Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. ... In 1930, he opened his first Publix Food Store with $1,300 of borrowed ...
