SAVANNAH, Ga. (June 14, 2021) – Parker’s, a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that was named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, recently hired two new team members to provide additional thought leadership and strategic support for the company’s continued expansion across coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Convenience store leader John Rudolfs serves as the new Chief Development Officer at Parker’s, and information technology strategist Scott Smith is the company’s new Senior Director of Information Technology.
”At Parker’s, we place a high value on people-first leaders who use their skills, knowledge and expertise to help us achieve and exceed our goals,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “We know that John Rudolfs and Scott Smith each bring years of convenience store industry experience and technical expertise that will benefit our team, our stores and, most importantly, our customers.”
The latest Parker’s new hires include:
JOHN RUDOLFS, Chief Development Officer – John Rudolfs serves as Chief Development Officer at Parker’s. In his new role, Rudolfs is responsible for the growth and overall network development strategy of the company. An executive leader with a strong cross-functional management background and a former U.S. Navy officer, Rudolfs joins Parker’s after serving as the Chief Development Officer for MAPCO, where he managed the growth strategy and capital planning for existing and new-to-industry locations. Rudolfs brings more than 20 years of experience in leading multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies, including a variety of fuel companies. He previously served as the Executive Vice President for Murphy Oil Corporation/Murphy USA. During his tenure in the U.S. Navy, Rudolfs was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and numerous other service medals and commendations. Originally from California, Rudolfs earned a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. and currently lives in Savannah, Ga.
SCOTT SMITH, Senior Director of Information Technology – An expert in developing strategic solutions for retail technologies, Scott Smith joins Parker’s after serving as the Director of Information Technology for convenience and fuel retailer Royal Farms, where he led the IT department in security, infrastructure and retail operations initiatives for hundreds of locations across multiple states. Bringing 12 years of convenience-focused IT strategy experience to his new position at Parker’s, Smith previously served as Royal Farms’ Project Manager and Systems and Network Administrator during the company’s growth from 100 to more than 250 store locations. As Parker’s new Senior Director of Information Technology, Smith leads Parker’s IT operations and collaborates with the company’s Chief Innovation Officer Eric Jones on digital transformation and strategic growth efforts. Originally from Baltimore, Md., Smith currently resides in Savannah, Ga.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown from a one-store operation in Midway, Ga. to an award-winning company with state-of-the-art convenience stores located throughout Georgia and South Carolina, serving delicious, award-winning Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food that’s made from scratch on-site. Parker’s was recently named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, which is the convenience store industry’s highest honor, and was voted one of America’s top 10 gas station brands by USA TODAY readers. The company also earned a 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, which is presented to the top 10% of restaurants across the United States.Currently celebrating its 45th anniversary, Parker’s has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for five years and has been honored by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores, by The Shelby Report as the Southeast Retailer of the Year and by Convenience Store News as the Foodservice Leader of the Year. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 228,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.
Parker’s stands apart as one of America’s most respected convenience store brands and is known for having the cleanest stores in the industry. The company serves award-winning Southern-inspired food, offers an acclaimed Parker’s Rewards program and 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 the region and completes more than 125,000 transactions daily.
ABOUT PARKER’S:
Honored as the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, Parker’s is strategically redefining the nation’s convenience store industry, offering customers high-quality products, freshly prepared food and superior customer service at retail stores throughout southeast Georgia and South Carolina. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s has a commitment to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies. Parker’s Kitchen, the popular food-centric brand under the Parker’s umbrella, serves world-famous hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders as well as made-from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials. The company’s popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 228,000 members, has saved Parker’s customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com.
RECENT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:
● Hall of Fame Inductee – Convenience Store News
● 2020 Best Gas Station Brand Top 10 – USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
● 2020 Convenience Store Chain of the Year – Convenience Store Decisions
● 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
● Legacy Leader – Georgia Trend
● America’s Best Convenience Stores – Food and Wine
● 2019 Southeast Retailer of the Year – The Shelby Report
● 2019 Fastest Growing Companies in America – Inc. 5000
● 2018 Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year – Convenience Store News
● Top 10 U.S. Gas Station Brands – Gas Buddy
● 50 Most Influential People in Convenience Store History – Convenience Store News
● Best Convenience Store – Savannah Morning News Readers’ Choice Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Savannah Magazine Best of Savannah Awards
● Best Convenience Market/Gas Station – Connect Savannah Best of Savannah Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Statesboro Herald “Best in the ‘Boro” Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Bryan County Now “Best of Bryan” Awards
● Regional Economic Impact Award – Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
● Best Convenience Store – Island Packet
● Most Fab Convenience Store – Effingham Herald
● Most Fabulous Gas Station – Effingham Living
● Wayne County’s Favorite Convenience Store – Jesup Press-Sentinel
