THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE DREAMS, IDEAS AND GOALS COME TO FRUITION, IS THE CORE OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOMS THAT ARE OURS IN AMERICA.

- Denise Burnett Stewart

SMALL BUSINESS DRIVES THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. IT THRIVES AND SURVIVES NO MATTER WHAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THE MAIN ECONOMY.

- Dick Gadomski

UNLESS WE PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE WILL NOT HAVE AN EXCITING BUSINESS ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COUNTRY.

- Allen B. Morgan, Jr.

ARTHUR N. SEESSEL, III

SEESSEL’S SUPERMARKETS
FORMER CEO
EntrepreneurFounding Member

Art Seessel is a founding member of the Society of Entrepreneurs, and he is someone who understands well the concept of entrepreneurship. “A true entrepreneur is simply one who has a vision and the tenacity to pursue that vision.” Art has embodied his own definition and has successfully turned Seessel’s Supermarkets into a beloved Memphis’ institution. The Seessel legacy in Memphis began in 1858, when Henry Seessel opened a meat stall on Market Street in downtown Memphis. The steadily growing operation was passed down through the family, who opened the first Seessel’s Supermarket on Union Avenue in 1941. In 1961, Art Seessel, III became the fifth generation of Seessels to join the firm. Art Seessel sold his supermarket to Alabama-based Bruno’s in 1997.

Art Seessel’s civic interests are varied. They include the Memphis Arts Council, the Memphis Food Bank, the Memphis Sports Authority, the Visitor’s Board at the University of Memphis, and the Civil Rights Museum.

Description of Business:

Seessel’s Supermarkets – retail supermarkets operating in the Memphis metro market.

Year Business Founded:

1858

Year Inducted:

Founding Member

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship:

“A true entrepreneur can emerge from any vocation-medicine, fine arts, philosophy, business, law, education, etc.-for a true entrepreneur, from my perspective, is simply one who has a vision and the tenacity to pursue that vision. This results in a significant impact on their particular field of endeavor. Entrepreneurship extends far beyond financial success or failure.”