George W. Jenkins
| George W. Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 29, 1907 Warm Springs, Georgia |
| Died | April 8, 1996 (aged 88) Lakeland, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Georgia Tech |
| Occupation | Founder, Publix Super Markets |
| Net worth |
 1.0 billion at the time of his death. |
| Spouse(s) | Lee Savings (1940-1947; death), Anne MacGregor (1947–1974; divorce) |
| Children | Howard, David, Kenneth, Delores, Carol, Nancy & Julie |
| Parent(s) | George Washington Jenkins, Sr. & Annie Snelson |
George Washington Jenkins, Jr. (September 29, 1907 – April 8, 1996) was an American businessman and philanthropist 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.
Jenkins was born in Warm Springs, Georgia, and his family owned a general store in the community of Harris City, Georgia, catering primarily to farmers. In the 1920s, the local cotton fields were decimated by the boll weevil, prompting Jenkins' 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. After four months, 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.
About that time, a friend invited Jenkins to join him on a trip to visit family in Sarasota. They stopped in Gainesville, but Jenkins' sister had left on a family visit herself, so the friend took him on to Tampa, where Jenkins knew a man who managed a laundry. That friend encouraged Jenkins to stay the week and—while viewing the sights—they visited another man who owned more than a dozen Piggly Wiggly markets. After learning of Jenkins' grocery experience in Atlanta, the man offered him a job. Jenkins accepted, intending to return to school in the fall. Within a few weeks, however, his boss was so impressed that Jenkins was promoted to manage the store in St. Petersburg and school was postponed. By keeping his store well-stocked and clean, Jenkins saw his sales more than quadruple in less than a year. He was transferred to the company's largest store in Winter Haven, which he managed for four years.
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