Parker’s Senior Director of Information Technology Scott Smith has been named to the “40 Under 40 Leaders to Watch” list by CStore Decisions.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (Dec. 1, 2022) – Parker’s – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America six times – is delighted to announce that Senior Director of Information Technology (IT) Scott Smith has been named to the “40 Under 40 Leaders to Watch” list by CStore Decisions, an award-winning convenience store industry publication. Smith and 39 other honorees are currently featured in the December 2022 issue of CStore Decisions magazine.
“Scott Smith is incredibly positive, productive and forward-thinking,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “He’s a people-first leader who, at the age of 35, has already made transformative contributions to Parker’s and to the convenience store industry as a whole.”
CStore Decisions’ “40 Under 40” annual list features the industry’s up-and-coming leaders whose ideas and abilities have helped advance their business in a demonstrable way. These next-generation leaders represent some of the most promising young executives in today’s convenience store industry.
At Parker’s, Smith leads the company in all aspects of technology including the company’s round-up for charity technology, self-checkout systems, cloud infrastructure, servers and efficiency of payment systems, which process more than 125,000 transactions per day. He also ensures that the Parker’s Rewards app is up-to-date and efficiently serving the loyalty program’s 300,000+ members.
Before joining Parker’s in 2021, Smith worked as the Director of Information Technology at convenience and fuel retailer Royal Farms in Baltimore, Md., where he led the IT department’s security, infrastructure and retail operations initiatives for hundreds of stores across multiple states.
Earlier this year, Smith was named a “Future Leader in Convenience” by Convenience Store News for his impressive professional achievements. He currently resides in Savannah, Ga.
Parker’s stands apart as one of America’s most respected convenience store brands and is known for having the cleanest restrooms in the industry. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s has enjoyed steady 20 to 24 percent annual growth every year for the past 24 years. In 2020, Parker’s was named the Convenience Store Chain of the Year by CStore Decisions, which is the industry’s highest honor. The company has been honored by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores, named the Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year by Convenience Store News and voted the #3 Best Gas Station Brand by USA TODAY readers.
Parker’s gives back to support every community where stores are located through the company’s Fueling the Community program and the Parker’s Community Fund. Since January 2021, Parker’s has donated more than $22 million to the Parker’s Community Fund to support charitable initiatives throughout the company’s corporate footprint in coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown to become an award-winning company with a robust Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 300,000 members and has saved customers more than $15 million to date. Parker’s employs more than 1,200 individuals throughout South Carolina and Georgia.
ABOUT PARKER’S:
Honored as the 2020 CStore 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 300,000 members, has saved Parker’s customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com.
RECENT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:
- Inc. 5000 List – Fastest Growing Companies in America –Inc. Magazine
- Hall of Fame Inductee –Convenience Store News
- Best Gas Station Brand Top 10 –USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
- Convenience Store Chain of the Year –CStore Decisions
- Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
- Legacy Leader –Georgia Trend
- America’s Best Convenience Stores –Food and Wine
- Southeast Retailer of the Year –The Shelby Report
- 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
