By Janice Shay
Photography by Tim Johnson

First impression: Greg Parker makes everything he does look easy. A CEO who’s rarely seen in a corporate suit, his stylishly casual attire belies the many hours he spends working at his office upstairs from Parker’s Market on Drayton. I was surprised to discover that he’s chairman of the national industry that represents 146,000 convenience stores, he’s a sought-after speaker at business forums around the country, and is responsible for the gas card program that spawned a lawsuit against the state of Georgia and put more than a million dollars back into customers’ pockets in the last 15 months. That’s no small change.

This personal success is a result of Parker’s uber-popular business model. It’s hard not to notice one of Parker’s convenience stores. They are the modern and well-maintained gas stops you see around town and along the highways. There are 27 stores in the Georgia/South Carolina region, including Richmond Hill, Statesboro, Ludowici, Hinesville, Bluffton, Guyton and Savannah. Currently there are 17 more stores on the drawing board. Parker is quick to note that this is exactly the right time to grow a business, an idea that goes against the herd instinct of “wait-and-see” so prevalent in our down economy. Of course, that kind of progressive growth mindset demands a particular courage and knowledge of the market. Parker has both those in spades.

Parker’s convenience stores are not news to Savannahians. Most locals have steered their car into one of the Parker’s stores to gas up or grab a quick snack. Billboard and transit bus ads are a frequent reminder that we can save money on cigarettes and enjoy chewy ice in super-sized drink cups at various locations around our fair city. What is not so well known is that Greg Parker created this empire 38 years ago in Midway, Georgia, at the tender age of 21, using the same good instincts that continue to fuel his business decisions.

For the entire story, see the current issue of South Magazine on shelves now at these local retailers.