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That vehicle was a semi-tractor-trailer truck with a familiar green and white logo and an American flag attached to the cab window. It was followed by a convoy of identical trucks. Pine Island residents cheered and applauded as the Publix Super Markets delivery trucks arrived with a supply of fresh produce, meat, milk and other essentials.

The moment, captured in a photo by Pine Island resident Jon Demoya, encapsulated the impact the grocery store chain and its visionary founder, George W. Jenkins, has had on the state of Florida through its employment opportunities and community giving campaigns.

One Man’s Dream

Jenkins’ dream of providing communities with quality food and service began as a boy in Harris, Georgia, working in his father’s general store. Hoping to make his fortune in Florida, Jenkins headed to Tampa in 1925 at the age of 17 and landed a job as a stock clerk in a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.

Even at that young age, he displayed a worth ethic and commitment that impressed his bosses. He was quickly promoted to manager of the Tampa store and then was transferred to the grocery store chain’s largest store in Winter Haven, where he worked as the manager from 1926 to 1930.

Jenkins was only 22 years old when the stock market crashed in October 1929 paving the way for the Great Depression. Despite the crippled economy, Jenkins decided to quit his job and strike out on his own. A year later, on Sept. 6, 1930, he opened the first Publix Food Store in Winter Haven, followed by a second store across town five years later.

Jenkins, however, had greater aspirations. He dreamed of creating what he called a modern “food palace” of marble, glass and stucco with unheard-of innovations at that time like air conditioning, fluorescent lights and doors that opened automatically with the help of “electronic eyes.”

He closed the two Winter Haven grocery stores and opened the first Publix Super Market on Nov. 8, 1940.

Decades later, economists and marketing gurus would study Jenkins’ business model to figure out the secret to his success at a time when businesses across the country were shuttering their doors.

Jenkins, known as “Mr. George” to those who worked for him, could have told them the answer in four words: “Treat employees like family.”

It was a philosophy he never wavered from as Publix Super Markets sprang up across the Southeast. Every cashier, bagger, meat cutter and baker employed by Publix had a personal stake in the company’s success.

“Our founder believed associates should be company owners. It’s one of the greatest benefits of working at Publix,” said Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous. “He wanted his associates to share in his vision for the growth of Publix.”

Jenkins offered stock to all of the store’s associates, saying, “It’s just common sense that if you own a part of a company, then you’re going to give it your best.”

National Accolades

Today, Publix Super Markets Inc. is the largest employee-owned company in the United States. The company is owned by 240,000 people — including grocery baggers, truck drivers, cake decorators and stock clerks — who work at 1,331 grocery stores, 10 distribution center, 10 manufacturing facilities, 11 cooking schools and the company’s flagship campus-like headquarters in Lakeland.

It’s become one of the 10 largest-volume supermarket chains in the country with retail sales reaching $48 billion in 2021.

It’s also earned the company a slew of accolades.

Publix has been named to Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For from 1998 to 2022, earning the magazine’s recognition as one of the “Great Place to Work Legends.”

Fortune also listed Publix as one of the Best Workplaces in Retail, Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces for Millenials, Most Important Private Companies and Best Big Companies to Work For.

Meanwhile, on Feb. 27, Forbes magazine once again included Publix on its America’s Best Large Employers list.

Publix also has made Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for New Grads, Best Employers for Veterans and Best Employers for Diversity.

Other honors include Best Companies for Diversity by Women’s Choice Award, the No. 1 spot on Newsweek magazine’s America’s Best Customer Service in Supermarkets list in 2021 and was voted the South’s Best Grocery Store by Southern Living readers.

Giving Back

Brous said the company is especially proud to be included on Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies in 2020, 2022 and again this year.

“George Jenkins believed in giving,” she said. “From the day he opened his first Publix, he made sure his associates, customers and community were taken care of. In 1966, Mr. George established the (Publix Super Market Charities) foundation with the vision it would continue giving long after he was gone.”

In 2021, Publix launched its Feeding More Together register campaign, allowing customers to donate at the register to provide nonperishable items for local food banks. Publix then matches customer donations with the purchase of fresh produce from Southeastern farmers and donates it to Feeding America member food banks. This campaign has provided more than 232 million meals to people facing hunger since launching two years ago.

“For decades, Publix has worked to take care of its neighbors and communities, and helping alleviate hunger is at the heart of the company’s charitable efforts,” Brous said. “Since 1930, we’ve remained true to the philosophies and principles set forth by our founder, our associates go above and beyond to take care of our customers and communities every day.”

In September, Publix Super Markets Charities announced a $5.65 million donation to 328 food banks and other nonprofit organizations focused on hunger alleviation. To further those efforts, the company has donated an additional $3.85 million to 22 Feeding America member food banks to purchase and equip a mobile food pantry where people in need can “shop” for free.

With these contributions, Publix Super Markets Charities donated a total of $9.5 million in 2022 to support hunger relief organizations. And the company has pledged a total of $23 million to support hunger alleviation by the end of 2023. This includes a Publix commitment to provide more than 10 million pounds of produce to stock 20 of the mobile pantries in their first year of operation.

“As Americans continue to face hunger, we wanted to do more to help get much-needed meals onto the plates of our neighbors,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “In conjunction with Publix Super Markets Charities, we’re proud to extend our commitment to helping alleviate hunger through these donations. We remain dedicated to doing good together to provide nourishing meals for people in need in our communities.”

“This donation will be instrumental for so many people who face hunger every day,” said Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. “Access to nutrition is a foundational need for everyone to be successful. We’re grateful to both Publix and Publix Super Markets Charities for their continued partnership and commitment to help alleviate hunger.”

In addition to hunger alleviation efforts, the company is committed to being good stewards of the environment. In 2021, Publix announced plans to support the removal of nuisance trees and plants in the Florida Everglades through projects with the National Audubon Society and the National Park Foundation.

Long before the affordable housing crisis, Publix Charities supported efforts to provide housing for families in need.

Publix began supporting Habitat for Humanity affiliates more than 30 years ago, with the first contribution going to Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County.

Since 2014, the company has donated more than $33 million to housing programs, including building homes and supporting programs such as emergency shelters and transitional housing for those in need.

“We’re committed to helping people in our communities build hope by putting roofs over their heads,” said Publix Charities Executive Director Kelly Williams-Puccio. “George Jenkins believed that a home gives individuals and families safety, independence and hope.”

On Dec. 8, the company donated $5 million to support more than 240 nonprofit housing programs throughout the Southeast, including 126 Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

Most recently, on Feb. 27, Publix hosted its inaugural hunger summit last week, bringing together executives from 35 Feeding America member food banks in the company’s operating area, as well as state and federal officials, to discuss how they can build on previous successes and feed more people in need.

“With more than 7 million people in the Southeast being food insecure, Publix continues to work toward alleviating hunger,” Jones said. “Our summit provided an opportunity to build stronger connections and, together, find better ways to accomplish a united purpose — feeding even more people in need in the communities we serve.”

During the summit, representatives from Publix Super Markets Charities announced a special $4 million grant opportunity available to select food banks in Publix’s operating area to fund non-recurring, capacity-building projects. This grant opportunity is in addition to the company’s annual hunger alleviation donations. It will bring the organization’s total contributions to help alleviate hunger to more than $46 million since 2015.

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