Parker’s – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that’s currently featured on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America – recently hired two experienced convenience store leaders to support the company’s growth and continued expansion across coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

New hires at Parker’s include the following professionals:

DOUGLAS PARKER, Senior Director of Marketing – Douglas Parker serves as the Senior Director of Marketing at Parker’s, leading the marketing team in category management, merchandising, price book, advertising and loyalty. A forward-thinking retail executive, Parker is responsible for brand and marketing strategies that will drive sales and profits while enhancing the overall customer experience. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the convenience store industry to his position at Parker’s, including serving as the Director of Category Management for bp portfolio business Thorntons LLC in Louisville, Ky. Earlier in his career, he served in leadership positions with CEFCO Convenience Stores, Road Ranger, Kroger Convenience Stores and GPM Investments’ FAS Mart Corporation. Originally from Newport News, Va., Parker earned a B.S. in Business from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. He recently relocated to Savannah, Ga. from Louisville, Ky. and works at the Parker’s corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.

THOMAS RUTLEDGE, Director of Construction – As the Director of Construction at Parker’s, Thomas Rutledge oversees the company’s construction department and plays a key role in the future growth of Parker’s and Parker’s Kitchen retail stores. Rutledge brings 15 years of experience in convenience store construction development to his new position at Parker’s. Before joining Parker’s, he served as the Project Manager for Wawa, Inc. for over a decade, where he managed all aspects of construction activities and spearheaded the development of a diesel program. Earlier in his career, Rutledge worked as a Project Manager for Green Mountain Construction in San Antonio, Texas and D’Astuto Construction in Bellmawr, N.J. An accomplished project manager, he is the recipient of multiple Dale Carnegie Certificates of Achievement. Originally from Philadelphia, Rutledge attended Gloucester County College in Sewell, N.J. and holds OSHA and Xerxes Underground Tank certifications. He recently relocated to Richmond Hill, Ga. from Palm Harbor, Fla. and is based at the Parker’s corporate headquarters in Savannah, Ga.

“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.”

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. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s has enjoyed steady 20 to 24 percent annual growth every year for the past 23 years and offers an acclaimed Parker’s Rewards program, which saves customers time and money at the pump as well as in the store.