Produce Clerk Dan Barr, #1342, Palmetto, Florida, started his career at Publix in 1968. Fifty-five years later, he is still serving customers. 

The story between Dan and Publix has been ongoing since he was a kid. We can call it love at first sight; he joined the company and never looked back.

“My first memories of Publix started when I was 4. I still remember my parents taking me shopping there,” he said. “When I turned 16, I immediately applied because this was where I wanted to work.”

For 10 years, he was a part-time associate and studying. When he graduated with a degree in political science and accounting in 1978 from college, there was a choice to be made. Dan decided to stick with Publix and became a grocery clerk. In 1986, he was promoted to his first management role, known then as a second assistant manager. Later, he became an assistant store manager.

“I always loved to live and work in Tallahassee. I met great people and customers, and my wife also had her own business there,” Dan said.

In 2018, he decided that it was time to retire from management. But Dan didn’t picture himself as someone staying at home, so he seized the opportunity to become a part-time produce clerk.

“When you do what you love, it’s not considered work,” said Dan.

His advice for the young generation is to be down-to-earth and never give up. Publix is a great company to work for and to build a career. “Do everything you can to meet your goals and learn as much as possible.”

“My first store manager, Mickey McPhee, was a big inspiration to me. I learned a lot from him,” Dan said. “He was a charismatic figure, and I loved his way of managing his team.”

Aside from his work, Dan loves his family and is also passionate about cars. He is the proud owner of 3 collector cars: a Corvette, a Cobra kit car and a 1969 Pontiac GTO — The Judge.

Publix is a family — a big, 240,000-person one — with backgrounds from across the country and around the world. This article is part of a series featuring associates from a variety of backgrounds, age groups and cultures, and we love sharing their successes. We hope our articles help you learn a little more about your fellow associates who make up our Publix family.