Publix: Expanding is a Pleasure in Georgia

ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2007 – Publix Super Markets broke ground today in Cumming, Ga., for a new technology center, adding to its already significant presence in the state. The new facility, the company's second technology center in the U.S., will employ 30 workers.
'Publix and Georgia have been good for each other,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). 'We are proud our dynamic business climate has helped the company grow in service to its customers not only in Georgia, but around the Southeast.'

As the fourth Publix operations center located in Georgia, this new state-of-the art center strengthens Publix's presence in the state. The Cumming center will support more than 900 Publix stores throughout Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.

"Publix is committed to growing with the metro Atlanta area," said Brenda Reid, media and community relations manager for Publix.  'We currently have 170 stores in the state of Georgia, including 145 in metro Atlanta.'

The 40,000-square-foot building will be located in the Meadows Office Complex on Shiloh Road in south Forsyth County. Carol Henderson, project manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, partnered on the company's location with the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, the Development Authority of Forsyth County, Georgia Power and CNL Real Estate Service.

'The mission of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce is to grow jobs for local residents,' said Lynn Jackson, chair of the chamber's board of directors. 'Publix is already a significant partner in our community and the addition of its new technology center is a perfect fit for our community's resources. These will be high-tech jobs which will utilize our existing highly-skilled workforce with the potential for continued, strong growth.'

Founded by the late George W. Jenkins in 1930 in Winter Haven, Fla., Publix is the largest employee-owned supermarket chain and one of the 10 largest-volume supermarket chains in the United States. Now based in Lakeland, Fl., the company currently employs more than 142,000 workers and had retail sales of $21.7 billion in 2006.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.