Parke Warehouses is a multi-generational family business and premier 3PL corporation serving the manufacturers of the Midwest. Gavin Stoddard is the 6th generation President of Parke, with roots in Decatur dating back to 1854. Parke specializes in warehousing, food and bulk material logistics and toll processing.
Parke has interacted with the Economic Development Corporation for decades, and Stoddard decided to join the Board of Directors in 2019.
“I am active with the EDC for two reasons. First, Decatur’s prosperity benefits everyone. It is important to me and our family to be a leader and help drive growth in our community. Being able to work alongside other great corporations and leaders gives our county an edge to move quickly, share insights and provide powerful action. Serving on the Board brings great awareness to growth opportunities for our community. To sit at the table alongside major influencers and engage with our business leaders is an honor I do not take lightly. Together, we have an opportunity to activate and leverage growth.”
For the last decade, Parke has been part of a supply chain industry association that has helped guide the FDA’s warehousing food safety regulations. Today, they are working to shape the next generation of policies that will impact food tracing and tracking in the years to come. With the upward trends in the food sector and many health-related concerns, it becomes particularly important to their growth in toll processing. Parke is a trusted source for re-packing, blending and transferring of goods and plays a critical role in the safety and delivery of bulk food ingredients.
Stoddard understands the importance of economic development in our region. “Our business is here in Macon County. We are committed to our local businesses and to our community – we believe it is part of our corporate social responsibility to help attract and grow business and support our workforce locally.”