George W. Jenkins Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth and Family

Age, Biography and Wiki

George W. Jenkins (George Washington Jenkins Jr.) was born on 29 September, 1907 in Warm Springs, Georgia, U.S., is a businessman. Discover George W. Jenkins's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 89 years old?

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 September. He is a member of famous businessman with the age 89 years old group.

George W. Jenkins Height, Weight & Measurements

At 89 years old, George W. Jenkins height not available right now. We will update George W. Jenkins's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Who Is George W. Jenkins's Wife?

His wife is Lee Savings (m. 1940-1941) Anne MacGregor (m. 1947-1974)

George W. Jenkins Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is George W. Jenkins worth at the age of 89 years old? George W. Jenkins’s income source is mostly from being a successful businessman. He is from Georgia. We have estimated George W. Jenkins's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets.

George W. Jenkins Social Network

Timeline

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.

Jenkins suffered a stroke on August 8, 1989, but continued to work and visit his supermarkets in a wheelchair. 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."

The George Jenkins Arena in the Lakeland Center opened in 1974 as a multipurpose entertainment facility with seating for 10,000. 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.

Jenkins established the George W. Jenkins Foundation in 1966 to "improve Publix communities." After Jenkins' death, the foundation's name became Publix Super Markets Charities. Jenkins' 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.

In 1966, Jenkins received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement and was the Host of the 1977 Achievement Summit in Orlando, Florida.

Jenkins received an honorary Doctorate of Law from Florida Southern College in 1956, and the University of Tampa in 1963. Stetson University conferred an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 1977, and he was awarded a Doctorate of Science in 1979 from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Jenkins was elected president of the Supermarket Institute in 1961 and served through 1963. The article, "The Grocer the Girls All Love – George Jenkins, Lakeland, Florida" appeared in the October 16, 1954, issue of The Saturday Evening Post.

Jenkins travelled frequently, for he was always looking for products and innovations to improve his stores. In the 1950s, bakeries and flower shops were added, delicatessens came in the 1960s, and in the 1980s, pharmacies and Presto!, a network of no-charge automated teller machines.

Building materials were scarce during World War II, so in 1945 Jenkins purchased an existing company: Lakeland Grocery Company of Lakeland, Florida, which operated a chain of 19 locations under the name All American Food Stores. Jenkins promptly moved the Publix offices to Lakeland's existing buildings; Lakeland remains the headquarters of Publix as of 2022.

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. Described as a "food palace", the building had much glass and marble, with a stucco exterior. There was a paved parking lot, and the front entrance utilized an electric eye automatic door opener. The interior was air conditioned, with bright fluorescent lighting, wide aisles, and music playing in the background. The open dairy cases were custom designed, and freezers offered frozen food. These features were unheard of in the grocery business at that time. The original two Publix stores were closed, but Jenkins realized that he would have to open many more stores to be successful.

Jenkins married Lee Savings in 1940. She died less than two years later. In 1947 he married Anne MacGregor, a registered nurse. They had seven children. The couple divorced in 1974.

In 1930, Florida was reeling following the real estate bubble burst in 1925, followed by the 1926 Miami hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, and the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The chain's owner was forced to sell his stores, which were purchased by a businessman in Atlanta. The new owner chose not to visit his new property, so Jenkins decided to visit him to talk about the future. Jenkins drove to Atlanta, visited the man's office, introduced himself to the secretary, and asked to see the owner. The response was that the owner was not available due to a critical business consultation, but Jenkins could hear the owner talking on the telephone about his golf game. Enraged, Jenkins returned to Winter Haven and began plotting a strategy. He decided to open his own store and compete directly with the new owner.

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, raising $1,200 to supplement Jenkins' savings of $1,300. He and five employees opened a new market next door to his former employer. The chain fought back, bringing in a handsome and charming manager from Miami who supposedly garnered all the customers wherever he went. The two stores began a series of one-upmanships, where the Piggly Wiggly store would offer a shopping premium, and Jenkins' Publix would offer something better. The first year was difficult, but Jenkins' store covered its expenses while the Piggly Wiggly closed. As the economy improved, the store did better, and five years later a second store was opened on the other side of town.

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.

George Washington Jenkins Jr. (September 29, 1907 – April 8, 1996) was an American businessman, 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.