PIGGLY WIGGLY—LOCAL SINCE FOREVER

August 21, 2012   Our speaker was David Schools, President of the Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co, a retail food store chain with over 100 stores and 6000 employees. Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company was founded by Joseph T. Newton Jr. Originally based in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, Joe Newton and his son-in-law Burt Schools, moved the main warehouse to North Charleston, SC in 1959. In the decade after, he bought out Piggly Wiggly Carolina (based in Columbia, SC), and merged the two companies as Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. In 1958, Joe Newton’s son-in-law, Burt Schools, joined the business, and in 1962, Joe’s son, Joseph T. “Buzzy” Newton, III, also joined the business.

In April 2007, after 45 years with Piggly Wiggly, Buzzy Newton retired as president and became chairman of the board. Upon Newton’s retirement, David R. Schools, Burt Schools’ son and Buzzy Newton’s nephew, was named President of Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company.

Today the company is 100% owned by the employees a venture which took place between 1986 and 2006. With a slogan “Local Since Forever,” the company focuses on service and partnerships with local businesses be it insurance brokers or local farmers. An example of local support has been the purchase of eggs from Mepkin Abbey, which later became a mushroom supplier. The retail food industry today faces increasing competition: drug stores, convenience stores, national and international companies. The “PIG” thus focuses on service and local support. The company purchased the initial building for the Charleston Crisis Ministry and leased it for $1.00 per year. It continues to be a mainstay support of local charities including schools, churches and the Charleston Symphony.

The company continually surveys its customers in order to determine what items to add or drop and for every addition requires a matching drop of something else. They also encourage local farmers to grow what is locally needed. At the end of his talk, Mr. Schools received a record number of statements of thanks from the members of the club for all that Piggly Wiggly does for and means to Charleston.

Reported by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee