Nestled on North Palafox Street in Pensacola, Florida, Jarrell’s Wholesale doesn’t look like much from the outside—just a big warehouse with a few delivery trucks parked out front. But for the past 50 years, this family-run business has been the quiet engine powering thousands of convenience stores, grocery stores, and beach shops across the Gulf Coast.
It all started in 1975 when entrepreneur and businessman Kenneth Jarrell, with a sharp eye for opportunity, spotted a gap. Small independent country stores along Hwy 43 in Alabama couldn’t get reliable deliveries of everyday items. Big distributors ignored them. So Jarrell started his own company, promising two things: the items people want and personal service.
He began with just one van, selling out of the back of his Pontiac before buying his first official truck in 1975. That truck would later be nicknamed “Baby.” It acted as a small warehouse on wheels while Kenny spent years driving up and down Hwy 43. The company grew into 14 trucks and routes across Florida and Alabama. Each week, drivers rolled up to stores, unloaded boxes, and restocked shelves—by hand, by name, by relationship. Word spread fast, and by the 1980s Jarrell’s was delivering across five states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana.
What They Sell
Walk into any Gulf Coast convenience store and you’ll see Jarrell’s fingerprints everywhere. Chances are you’ve bought one of their products without knowing it. Jarrell’s sells everything from phone chargers and energy drinks to over-the-counter medication, drink tumblers, beach apparel, and fishing tackle. They carry over 3,000 products—many imported directly from manufacturers in China and beyond—to keep prices low. That’s crucial for small stores competing with big-box giants like Walmart and Amazon.
Lately, Jarrell’s biggest focus has been beach supplies: chairs, umbrellas, towels, swimsuits, hats, and more. Gulf Coast tourism has created such huge demand that beach gear is now the engine of Jarrell’s success…