For Atlanta bakery plant General Manager Chris Kelley, manufacturing is a family affair. His father worked for a manufacturing company, so it was natural for Chris to follow in his footsteps.

Thirteen years ago, a friend suggested Chris apply for a position at the Lakeland bakery plant, and he was hired as a quality assurance manager. After working there for a few years, he transferred as the production manager to the Atlanta bakery plant when Publix purchased it in 2004. In 2010, he was promoted to the role of general manager.

“I enjoy working with and leading others,” said Chris. “But, what I enjoy most is growing our business by planning for the future and working with new products.”

Chris oversees the production of more than 40 types of pies — his favorite is our mango Key lime — and three varieties of sub rolls. Just like the flavors of pies produced at the plant, every day is different. But, one thing remains constant for Chris: the associates who work in the plant make the difference.

“When we opened this plant, we transferred four or five associates from the Lakeland bakery plant,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to build the Publix culture with our new associates, and our team is very proud of Publix and their roles in the company.”

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