Winn-Dixie OTCBB: WNDXQ is a supermarket chain based in Jacksonville, Florida. After a 2005 restructuring, it will have 587 stores throughout Florida, in four other Deep South states, and in the Bahamas; the restructuring left the chain with fewer stores than it had in the late 1960s. The company has existed under its present name since 1955 and can date its roots back to 1925.

Prior to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Winn-Dixie was listed in the S&P 500 and had been traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "WIN" since February 18, 1952. The company is currently traded under the symbol "WNDXQ" on the Pink Sheets Electronic Quotation Service.

They are known for their private label Chek brand soft drinks, which are produced in over 20 different flavors plus diet and caffeine-free varieties — one of the widest assortments anywhere. The company also sells snacks under the private-label brand Crackin' Good Snacks. They are known as "The Beef People", though this slogan has seen decreased usage recently. Likely because of their negative brand image, Winn Dixie has begun using the slogan "getting better all the time" in its advertising and print media.

History

Winn-Dixie was founded and built-up by William Milton Davis and his sons Artemus Darius Davis, James Elsworth Davis, Milton Austin Davis and Tine Wayne Davis. William Davis started in business in Burley, Idaho where he bought a general store in 1914 that he later renamed Davis Mercantile. As was common at the time, he sold most goods on credit. The advent of cash-only grocery stores in the 1920s hurt Davis's business, as the new stores offered lower prices and larger selections.^[1]

In 1925 William Davis borrowed $10,000 from his father and moved to Miami, Florida, where he purchased the Rockmoor Grocery. In 1927 the company was renamed Table Supply, and four more stores were opened. In 1931 the Davis family bought the Lively Stores chain for $10,000, to create a chain of 33 Table Supply stores across Florida from Miami to Tampa. William Milton Davis died in 1934, leaving his four sons in charge of the company.^[2]

In 1939 the Davis brothers bought 51 per cent of Winn-Lovett, a chain of 73 stores. In 1944 the brothers adopted Winn-Lovett as the company name and moved the company headquarters to Jacksonville. Winn-Lovett purchased the Steiden Stores chain of 31 stores in Kentucky in 1945, and Margaret Ann Stores, with 46 stores in Florida, in 1949. In 1952 Winn-Lovett became the first industrial corporation based in Florida to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.^[2]

Winn-Lovett continued to grow by acquiring other chains, including Penney Stores in Mississippi, as well as Ballentine Stores and Eden Stores, both in South Carolina, all in 1955. Also in 1955, Winn-Lovett bought the 117-store Dixie Home chain, and changed its name to Winn-Dixie. In 1956 Winn-Dixie bought Ketner-Milner Stores in North Carolina, Hill Stores in Louisiana and Mississippi and King Stores in Georgia. The last purchase of a chain was in 1967, when Winn-Dixie bought the City Markets chain in The Bahamas.^[2]

Although Winn-Dixie Stores has been a publicly-owned corporation since 1952, the Davis family has always maintained control of the corporation. As of February, 2005 (when the company entered bankruptcy) the heirs of William Milton Davis still held about 35 per cent of Winn-Dixie stock.^[3]

The Davis brothers also became involved in state polictics, supporting conservative causes. It is reported that their financial support helped George Smathers beat incumbent U.S. Senator Claude Pepper in 1950. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Donald Regan is reported to have said of his financial guru, James E. Davis: "When J.E. calls, I listen."^[1] It is also reported that after reading Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery, James E. Davis began a program of Winn-Dixie supporting historically Black colleges and universities.^[2]