Papa Johns to maintain ownership of corporate hub; 1Vision completes acquisition of Preferred Marketing Solutions
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 26, 2023) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Papa John’s International Inc. (“Papa Johns”) will remain the sole owner of its Louisville campus and maintain its current office space, as well as the Papa Johns Quality Control Center, retaining more than 600 jobs at the campus.
“Kentucky has been proud to count Papa Johns among our state’s leading corporate citizens,” said Gov. Beshear. “Today, we welcome 1Vision to our great state, and we look forward to working with Papa Johns as it builds upon its long-standing commitment to Kentucky – from employing thousands of people across the state to helping make Kentucky an even better place to live and work.”
In addition, Papa Johns and 1Vision, a leading national provider of marketing services, announced that 1Vision has completed the acquisition of Preferred Marketing Solutions, a subsidiary of Papa Johns that will continue to operate on Papa Johns Louisville campus.
Papa Johns first shared plans with team members to pursue the sale and lease-back of its Louisville corporate offices earlier this year to address the evolving workstyles and preferences of its Louisville workforce. By maintaining ownership of its Louisville hub and partnering with 1Vision, more than 550 team members of Papa Johns and 50 team members of 1Vision, will remain on the Louisville campus long-term.
“Louisville has been home to Papa Johns for almost 40 years, and we remain committed to investing in this community,” said Papa Johns CEO Rob Lynch. “As the teams and executives of our IT, supply chain and legal departments continue to be based in our Louisville corporate hub, which will now also become a new home for 1Vision as they expand into the region, we both look forward to maintaining a strong presence in the city.”
1Vision, one of the fastest-growing printing and marketing solutions companies in the U.S, will be integrating Preferred Marketing’s operations and capabilities into its expanding platform of print, mail and marketing solutions companies. Louisville offers a large fulfillment and mail hub, which will improve 1Vision’s capabilities to service the eastern region of the United States.
“Preferred Marketing has expertise in providing best-in-class marketing solutions, helping marketers supporting thousands of unique locations to drive foot traffic through digital marketing, direct mail, onsite branded materials and associate apparel,” said 1Vision CEO Allen Taheri. “We look forward to continuing our investments in our new Louisville operation, which complements our operations in Denver, Houston, Las Vegas and Jackson, Mississippi, as we work to bring one of the most compelling retail marketing solutions in the industry.”
Papa Johns opened its doors in 1984 and was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky, and is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,700 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories. Since 2020, when the company moved to a multicorporate hub model, Papa Johns and the Papa Johns Foundation for Building Community together have invested more than $300,000 in Louisville community organizations, in addition to team member volunteerism and hundreds of in-kind donations of pizza.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg thanked the company for its continued commitment to the city: “Thank you to Papa Johns for its renewed commitment to our city. Johns is a bedrock company within Louisville’s food and beverage industry and within the community at large. These headquarter operations positions are the type of jobs that we want and need in our city, providing good pay and allowing people to advance in their careers.”
Jeffersontown Mayor Carol Pike spoke on the collaborative efforts the project required: “Since becoming mayor, my directive has been to retain Jeffersontown businesses while continuing to attract more. I am excited to announce the retention of Papa John’s International within Jeffersontown, Kentucky. This is a relationship first fostered in 1997 with the construction of their first-class facility. I am proud of the collaborative efforts with Gov. Beshear’s Cabinet for Economic Development, Mayor Greenberg’s CED, as well as my own CED to deliver the incentives necessary to secure the future of Papa Johns within Jeffersontown. I applaud the capital investment Papa Johns has committed to itself, its employees and the City of Jeffersontown. I believe this is a testament of the real value Jeffersontown provides as the benchmark for business and community life in Kentucky!”
Papa Johns’ investment and job creation builds on recent economic momentum in the commonwealth.