The Faces of Suwanee — Meet Jimmy Parker, Owner of Southeast Cold
INTERVIEW AND PHOTO BY FRANCESCA AUGELLO
Jimmy Parker, founder of Southeast Cold, is a respected businessman, philanthropist, and community advocate. Recognized with a Georgia commendation and named an Honorary Colonel in Alabama, he’s known for both his professional success and his love of connecting with people. Alongside his wife, Kelly, he’s a familiar face at local events and community gatherings.
PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY: My wife, Kelly, offers me more patience than I deserve. She’s a member of the management team for the Northside Hospital system’s Gwinnett Campus, and her dedication to her work and helping others sets the tone for our home. Our blended family consists of four boys, five girls, and ten grandkids — with our newest granddaughter born this past April. Even though they’re all grown up, they keep our life busy, exciting, and fun. Our household runs on teamwork and lots of laughter.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT AND PAST CAREER. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT IT? I’ve been in the commercial refrigeration business for 13 years. Originally, I did complete commercial kitchen buildouts, but in the last 10 years I’ve focused solely on commercial refrigeration. The different people I meet make this job fun — one day it’s a funeral home director, the next it’s a brewery owner. There’s never a dull moment, which is why I plan on working until I can’t anymore.
WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY? Nature Village Restaurant and IHOP.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED OR WORKED HERE? 13 years.
WHAT CURRENT OR FORMER BUSINESS, OR PLACE, MAKES YOU FEEL THE MOST NOSTALGIC ABOUT THIS AREA?Ippolito’s — it’s where my wife and I had our first date, and I took her back there to propose.
IF YOU COULD TAKE ANYONE TO LUNCH, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THAT BE? I’d take my dad. He taught me the value of hard work, time, and showing up for the people who matter. Life gets busy, and you don’t always realize how special a simple lunch with someone can be.
WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE HIM? Any good steak house.
WHAT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE YOU’VE EVER BEEN? Curaçao in the Caribbean Islands.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE YOU REMEMBER SEEING IN A THEATRE? Raiders of the Lost Ark.
TELL US SOMETHING THAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST. I’d love to visit the city of Petra in southern Jordan.
WHO IS THE MOST INTERESTING PERSON YOU’VE EVER MET? I’ve found that if you take the time to really listen, almost everyone has something about them that’s genuinely fascinating.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? ’90s country and ’70s disco.
TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW. I’m an avid watch collector.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A CROWD OF PEOPLE? Focus on consistency over intensity. Big moments come and go, but the small things you do every day — how you treat people, how you show up for loved ones, and how you follow through with commitments — that’s what shapes your life. The way you carry yourself day to day has a ripple effect far beyond what you see in the present moment.
