Pewter Partners - Publix Supermarkets

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Publix supermarkets is one of the top ten largest supermarket chains in the nation and is the largest employee-owned chain. Unlike most other supermarket chains, Publix employees own about 85% of the company, while its officers and directors own the remaining shares. Most of Publix's over 600 stores are located in Florida where the chain originated, but over the years the chain has branched out to Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The company has three dairy processing plants and eight distribution centers in Florida and Georgia. Publix produces its own deli, bakery, and dairy goods and provides fresh flowers, health and beauty care, photo processing, housewares, and pharmaceutical services.

Publix supermarkets began during the depression time, 1930 to be exact. It was in this year that founder George Jenkinsd the first Publix store in Winter Haven, Florida, thus putting the chain in motion. The first store set a new standard for cleanliness and beauty. It also began the time that Publix set the standard for employee relations, by establishing profit sharing and employee ownership from the start. In 1940 as depression times came to an end and the nation's economy improved, Publix hadd Florida's first supermarket. This "food palace" was made of marble, glass and stucco. The supermarket was equipped with innovations never seen before in a grocery store, which made the store extremely popular. Air conditioning, fluorescent lighting, electric-eye doors, frozen food cases, and piped-in music helped draw people from all around to shop there. Over the years, Publix continued to make innovations, such as their delis and bakeries, which helped solidify the chain as a market leader. With these innovations and a dedication to expansion, Publix supermarkets grew throughout the state of Florida and finally crossed state lines into Georgia in 1991. Since that time, the chain also branched out into South Carolina in 1993 and Alabama in 1996.

Superior customer service, top-quality merchandise, and commitment to their surrounding communities are the three promises that make up the essence of the Publix organization. Much effort is made to satisfy each and every Publix customer with top-notch service and products. Super Markets Charities was the foundation established by George Jenkins in 1966 to focus on the youth and education within the communities surrounding each and every Publix supermarket. Through this foundation and the ongoing commitment to their employees, or "associates", Publix continues to prove itself the leader in the supermarket industry.