Happy 30th anniversary to our Atlanta Division.
On Nov. 12, 1992, Publix opened #33, Marietta, Georgia. While it wasn’t the 1st store in Georgia or outside the state of Florida, it was the birth of the Atlanta Division. The 65,000-square-foot store had 19 registers and nearly 700 associates, many of whom were being trained for the opening of more stores in the division shortly thereafter.
Jacksonville District Manager Scott McGee was the assistant store manager of #33 and recalls some of the early challenges the division faced.
“At the time, all of our groceries were coming from the Jacksonville Division,” Scott said. “Drivers would drop a trailer off at a satellite location and another driver would then pick it up and deliver it to us. We operated like that until the Atlanta distribution center opened in 1994. That was a big challenge because we were doing such a high volume.”
Scott recalled one night a few weeks before the grand opening. He heard a commotion, went outside and saw 3 Publix semitrucks bringing the 1st delivery to stock the store. Each truck driver honked their horn as they made their way up the road.
“It almost brought tears to my eyes because you take so many things for granted when you see a Publix truck on our streets,” Scott said.
The people of Georgia welcomed Publix with open arms. Even with every register open, 2 front service clerks at each register and a large staff, the lines of excited customers seemed endlessly backed up. At one point, the management staff handed out cookies and juice to customers as they patiently waited in the long lines.
Scott remembers people driving from other states, such as North Carolina and South Carolina, to experience the new store.
“They knew of Publix from visiting Florida for vacation, but they wanted to come and see what it was all about,” Scott said.
From the beginning, management saw the importance of spreading the Publix culture in the new division.
“We hired close to 700 people because we knew we had 2 more stores opening a few weeks later. So, we started training and developing that culture in the Atlanta Division,” Scott said.
The emphasis on establishing the Publix culture was key to drawing in new customers and helping develop new leaders.
“Providing opportunities to train and develop is part of what we do to grow the future leaders of this company, and I think we did a really good job establishing that from the beginning,” Scott said. “It’s very fulfilling to me.”
What was once a leap to new territory in Georgia would turn into a companywide success story.
Fast-forward 30 years. Now, the Atlanta Division is home to 243 Publix stores and about 34,000 associates. The division features a bakery plant in Atlanta; a distribution center in McCalla, Alabama; and both a dairy plant and a distribution center in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
“The growth we’ve experienced in the Atlanta Division has been nothing short of amazing,” said Atlanta Division Vice President Kris Jonczyk. “I had the honor of being here since the opening of our 1st store, and since then, our incredible associates have worked to spread the Publix culture across 3 more states. Publix people are different, and we wouldn’t be celebrating 30 years as a division without their hard work and dedication. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our division!”
