Parker’s Hires 2 Industry Veterans

Photographs courtesy of Parker’s

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Convenience-store retailer Parker’s has hired Douglas Parker as senior director of marketing and Thomas Rutledge as director of construction to help advance the company’s growth and expansion.

“We’re delighted to welcome Douglas Parker and Thomas Rutledge to our growing team at Parker’s,” said Greg Parker, founder and CEO of Parker’s. “We are confident that Douglas’s goal-oriented approach to marketing and Thomas’s extensive knowledge of convenience store construction will help us achieve our goals in 2022 and beyond.”

With more than 30 years of experience in the c-store industry, Parker (left) is responsible for maintaining and propelling brand and marketing strategies. Through Parker’s efforts in advancing category management, merchandising, price book, advertising and loyalty, the company aims to drive sales and profits while enhancing customer experience.

Previously, Parker served as the director of category management for Louisville, Ky.-based BP portfolio business Thorntons LLC. Earlier, he held leadership positions with CEFCO Convenience Stores, Road Ranger, Kroger Convenience Stores and GPM Investments’ Fas Mart.

Rutledge has 15 years of experience in c-store construction development. He has U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Xerxes Underground Tank certifications.

Prior to joining Parker’s, Rutledge was the project manager for Wawa, Pa.-based Wawa Inc. for more than a decade, managing construction and the development of a diesel program. Earlier in his career, he worked as a project manager for Green Mountain Construction in San Antonio and D’Astuto Construction in Bellmawr, N.J.

• Parker’s is No. 99 on CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by store count. Watch for the 2022 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine and in CSP Daily News.

Based in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s owns and operates 68 c-stores throughout coastal Georgia and South Carolina and is in the middle of a $50 million expansion into the Charleston, S.C., market. It employs more than 1,200 individuals and completes more than 125,000 transactions daily. The chain serves Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food made from scratch on-site including hand-breaded Southern fried chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 210,000 members, has saved Parker’s customers more than $15 million to date, according to the company.

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