George W. Jenkins

Georgia Jenkins was born in 1907 in Warm Springs, Georgia. His family owned a general store in the community of Harris City, Georgia, catering primarily to farmers. His father Jenkins, Sr., was a member of the first graduating class of Georgia Tech and taught there after retiring as a grocer. In the 1920s, the local cotton fields were decimated by the boll weevil, prompting Jenkins's father to move his business to Atlanta where people had money to buy groceries. Young Jenkins stayed behind to sell the remaining inventory and finish high school. In 1924, he also moved to Atlanta and enrolled at Georgia Tech, going to classes at night, and working days. Jenkins never returned to complete his academic education at Georgia Tech. Jenkins tried a series of jobs, including cab driver (he quit on the first day after getting stiffed for a fare), selling shoes (too slow), selling candy bars on consignment (nobody purchased them), and delivering grocery orders for his father's store. For reasons unknown, he never worked at his father's store to learn the business. He began as a clerk for Piggly Wiggly stores and after eight weeks, was sent to replace a manager who was recovering from an illness. From that point on, his job was temporary manager at all the owner's stores. He worked for the store for four years. Jenkins was not convinced that the grocery business would become his vocation, so he accepted a job selling real estate; he sold one house, collecting a substantial commission. However, his boss was convinced that a fortune could be made in the south Florida land boom. They made plans for the trip, but the wife of his boss refused to go, so Jenkins went by himself. ==Publix==

Jenkins began his retail career as a stocker at a Piggly Wiggly. After a few months he became the manager. Jenkins began coming up with ideas on how to improve the store, but he was demeaned by the store's owner. In 1930, Jenkins quit his manager position to start Publix Food Store right next to the Piggly Wiggly. Although the country was in the midst of the Great Depression, Jenkins incorporated Publix Food Stores in 1930 with 30 shares, each valued at $100. He kept 13 for himself and sold four to friends. The butcher and assistant manager at Piggly Wiggly each purchased another four shares, First supermarket in Florida During the depression, Jenkins had purchased an orange grove. In 1940, he used that as collateral to secure a $70,000 bank loan to build the store of his dreams, the first supermarket in Florida. In the 1950s, bakeries and flower shops were added, delicatessens came in the 1960s, and in the 1990s, pharmacies and Presto!, a network of no-charge automated teller machines. In the early 1990s, the chain began to expand outside of Florida, starting in Georgia. By 1995, there were over 500 supermarkets in three states with almost 100,000 employees and sales of $9.4 billion. Full-time workers were granted capital stock in the company and shared the store's profits on a quarterly basis. These benefits were eventually expanded to part-timers who worked at least 1,000 hours annually. The employee-ownership structure, organizational culture, and employee benefits made the company one of the best places to work for in the United States. according to outlets such as Fortune and Forbes. ==Personal life==

Family Jenkins married Lee Savings in 1940. They had seven children. The couple divorced in 1974. Jenkins died in 1996 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and was buried in Oak Hill Burial Park in Lakeland. He left his wealth to the George M. Jenkins Fund (charity) and his family, which continues to control the company. Florida Governor Lawton Chiles stated, "George made a tremendous contribution to our business climate, but perhaps more importantly, he was a true civic leader who had a deep dedication to improving our communities." ==Philanthropy==

Jenkins established the George W. Jenkins Foundation in 1966 to "improve Publix communities." After Jenkins's death, the foundation's name became Publix Super Markets Charities. Jenkins's daughter, Carol Jenkins Barnett, served as its president. In addition to local charities, the corporation supports five national campaigns: Special Olympics, March of Dimes, Children's Miracle Network, United Way of America, and Food for All. ==Honors==

Jenkins received honorary doctorates from Florida Southern College in 1956, the University of Tampa in 1963, Stetson University in 1977, and Florida Institute of Technology in 1979. The article, "The Grocer the Girls All Love – George Jenkins, Lakeland, Florida" appeared in the October 16, 1954, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. George W. Jenkins High School in Lakeland was named in his honor in 1993. Jenkins received the Horatio Alger Award in 2007, and was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2009. The state of Florida named him a Great Floridian in 2011, and the Florida Independent Business Association named him a "Florida Business Legend" for September 2011. == References ==