Publix Recognized on PEOPLE’s Companies That Care List

Ranked No. 18 out of 100 companies

LAKELAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Publix has been recognized as the No. 18 “company that cares” by PEOPLE. This is Publix’s second consecutive year on the list, which highlights the top U.S. companies that have succeeded in business while demonstrating outstanding respect, care and concern for their employees, their communities and the environment.

“Publix’s culture is focused on serving our customers and taking care of our associates, communities and planet,” said Publix Vice President of Public Affairs John Provenzano. “Our responsibility extends beyond our aisles and into our communities, a commitment that started with our founder, George Jenkins. Being recognized as a company that cares is an honor, especially as we’re continuing to navigate through the challenges of a pandemic.”

Over the past year, Publix recognized associates for their commitment to providing premier service by issuing Publix gift cards several times and accelerating its annual pay increases. The company also enhanced its benefits to meet its associates’ needs and hired thousands of new associates, encouraging many who had found themselves unexpectedly without work to apply. Additionally, associates were encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and associates who chose to be vaccinated were thanked for doing their part with a $125 Publix gift card.

The company also increased its decades-long support to help alleviate hunger in the communities it serves. During the pandemic, the need for food assistance reached unprecedented levels in this country. As the impact of coronavirus closed schools, restaurants, hotels and other establishments, farmers were forced to discard produce and milk due to decreased demand. In April 2020, Publix launched an initiative to purchase surplus produce and milk from farmers impacted by the pandemic and deliver it directly to food banks. Through that program, Publix purchased and delivered more than 18 million pounds of produce and over 500,000 gallons of milk to Feeding America member food banks throughout the Southeast. Then, in December 2020, with some food banks reporting as much as a 400% increase in demand, Publix created a new six-week program to support six of Florida’s largest food banks with additional donations of pasta, canned vegetables, canned beans, cereal and boxed potatoes.

Publix also recognizes the importance of water stewardship. Earlier this year, the company announced it would donate a total of $2 million to the National Audubon Society and the National Park Foundation to protect, restore and conserve two areas of the Florida Everglades, a wetland that supplies nearly 8 million Floridians with fresh water and provides a natural habitat for endangered native species. The initiatives will return an estimated 174 million gallons of water per year to the local environment.

In compiling the list, PEOPLE magazine partnered with Great Place to Work to analyze surveys from more than 5 million employees on their experiences of how their workplaces have made a difference in their lives and their communities. Rankings also reflect Great Place to Work’s assessment of the generosity of each organization’s benefits, and their philanthropic and community support, with particular focus on activities that occurred in the last year.

To read about Publix’s ranking and see the full list of PEOPLE’s Companies that Care, visit greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/companies-that-care/2021.

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 225,000 associates, currently operates 1,281 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 24 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.