Parker’s, CStore Decisions’ 2020 Chain of the Year, announced that it was included in the Inc. 5000 list for the sixth time. The list recognizes the top 0.07% of all private companies in the U.S. in terms of growth.
Inc. officially released the complete list of honorees and will recognize the winners in the September 2021 issue of the magazine and at the Inc. 5000 Vision Conference, which will be held on Oct. 19-20, 2021 in Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Once again, Parker’s joins top U.S. companies on the Inc. 5000 list. To earn a spot on the highly competitive annual list, companies needed to achieve significant revenue and human resources growth between 2017 and 2020.
“It takes grit and determination to reach this milestone in any year, but you’ve done it during one of the hardest milestones we’ve ever endured as a country,” Inc. Editor-in-Chief Scott Omelianuk told the winners in a special video message. “Not only have you managed to survive, but you have thrived — and that’s truly inspiring.”
Parker’s Founder and CEO Greg Parker — who opened the first Parker’s store in Midway, Ga. in 1976 and has led the company through an ambitious expansion strategy over the past decade — credits a stellar team and loyal customers with helping the company achieve this landmark achievement, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The past 18 months have been incredibly challenging, but our hard-working team members and our loyal customers have helped make Parker’s a smarter, better and more resilient company,” said Parker. “We’re truly humbled to be honored, for the sixth time, as one of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, offering exceptional customer service, state-of-the-art technology and award-winning, Southern-inspired food to our customers 365 days a year.”
Parker’s uses predictive analytics and machine learning to determine the most seamless, frictionless and time-efficient ways to complete transactions and to prepare the freshest possible food to meet customer demand. The company also utilizes GPS-enabled mobile app technology and has seen a 40% increase in contactless payment through the Parker’s Rewards app during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s owns and operates 70 stores throughout coastal Georgia and South Carolina and is in the middle of a $50 million expansion into the Charleston, S.C. market. The company, which is currently celebrating its 45th anniversary, has enjoyed steady 20-24% annual growth every year for the past 22 years.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown to become an award-winning company serving Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food that’s made from scratch on-site.
The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 228,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.
Parker’s gives back to every community where it does business through the Fueling the Community charitable giving program and the Parker’s Community Fund. Parker’s employs more than 1,200 individuals throughout Georgia and South Carolina and completes more than 125,000 transactions daily.