Publix

What started as a single store in Winter Haven, Florida, in 1930, founded by George W. Jenkins, has blossomed into the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States. Jenkins, affectionately known as "Mr. George," had a vision that extended beyond just selling groceries. He had previously worked at Piggly Wiggly, where his ideas for improving the customer experience were often overlooked. This fueled his ambition to create his own store, a place where customer satisfaction and employee well-being were paramount. The first Publix Food Store was a 3,000-square-foot building, and despite the Great Depression, it found financial success. In 1935, a second market, the Economy Food Store, opened, also in Winter Haven.

A pivotal moment came in 1940 when Jenkins mortgaged an orange grove to build Florida's first supermarket, a "food palace" featuring then-innovations like air conditioning, automatic sliding glass doors, marble and glass decor, and fluorescent lighting. This new store was five times larger than his previous two, which he closed to focus on this grander vision. The name "Publix" itself was inspired by a chain of theaters Jenkins admired; as many theaters were closing, he liked the sound of the name and adopted it for his burgeoning enterprise. During World War II, material shortages paused expansion, but in 1945, Jenkins seized an opportunity to purchase the 19-store All American chain, converting them into Publix Super Markets. This acquisition marked a significant step in establishing Publix as a chain. By 1951, Publix moved its headquarters from Winter Haven to Lakeland, Florida, and constructed its first distribution warehouse there. The company continued to grow, reaching $50 million in sales by 1956 and expanding services to include full-service bakeries in 1957. Throughout its history, Publix has remained committed to its founding principles of customer service, community involvement, and being a great place to work, consistently earning accolades for these efforts.