Wednesday was Ed Crenshaw’s last day on the job as CEO of the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States.
And everyone wanted a picture with him.
Dozens of Publix employees cheered and applauded Crenshaw as he walked up to greet them at Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, where about 150 employees volunteered to unload trucks filled with canned tuna, peanut butter and other non-perishables destined for 16 food banks and pantries across Broward County.
The employees didn’t know Crenshaw would stop by to say hello — he made rounds all day at service projects in the southeastern U.S. where employees were participating in Publix Serves Day, a day of giving back to the community.
Crenshaw told the Fort Lauderdale crew he couldn’t imagine a better way to spend his last day as CEO.
After a short speech, employees huddled around Crenshaw to say hello, to thank him for coming and to take pictures with him.
“It’s a great day to spend it with our associates because it’s our associates that make this company so special and so unique,” Crenshaw said during a brief break from pictures. “To be able to come here and say thank you to them, for not only what they do for our customers in our stores every day, but what they do to give back to the communities that make each of us successful, it’s easy for me to do, it’s fun to do.”
Tracy Watson, produce manager at a store in North Lauderdale and a Publix employee for 28 years, said Crenshaw is well-liked by employees and has made an effort to recognize their efforts.
“He comes in and speaks to everybody, shakes your hand, looks you in the eye. He’s real,” Watson said.
Publix was founded in Winter Haven in 1930 by Crenshaw’s grandfather, George W. Jenkins. The chain has grown to about 1,110 stores across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, with more than 179,500 employees.
Crenshaw got his first job with Publix in 1974 bagging groceries and retrieving carts from parking lots in Lake Wales. A decade later and after working in other retail and support positions, he was promoted to director of retail operations for the chain’s Lakeland division.
By 1990, he was vice president of the Lakeland division and elected to the board of directors. Crenshaw then moved to Atlanta as division vice president. In 1994, Crenshaw was promoted to Publix executive vice president of retail and to president in 1996.
He became CEO in 2008.
Crenshaw isn’t leaving Publix. He plans to stay on the board of directors as a member and by May 3 will become chair of the board. Charlie Jenkins Jr., current chairman, will transition to chairman emeritus.
“The board of directors is grateful for Ed’s 42 years of dedicated service to Publix, our associates and the communities we serve,” Jenkins said in a statement earlier this year when the company announced Crenshaw’s retirement. “He’s been a strong leader keenly focused on our continued growth in current and new markets and committed to the development and promotion of our associates.”
Publix’ president, Todd Jones, will take on the additional responsibilities of CEO after Crenshaw retires.
Jones has been with the company since 1980, working his way up from bag boy to store manager to executive positions. He became Publix’s president in 2008.
“I know Publix is in good hands. Our future is probably brighter than ever and at the end of the day, that’s what’s important, that the company continues to grow and continues to offer career opportunities for our associates,” Crenshaw said. “It’s only going to get bigger and better and stronger, and that excites me.”
Lakeland-based Publix made $32.4 billion in sales in 2015, up 5.9 percent from $30.6 billion in 2014.
John Goff, Publix regional director for Monroe County, Miami-Dade County and the southern part of Broward County, has been with the company for 25 years, since he was 16 years old. He says he’ll miss Crenshaw’s leadership.
“He’s left a legacy for the rest of us to follow,” Goff said.
