FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Successful entrepreneur and businesswoman Cordia Harrington will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Arkansas during the All-University Commencement ceremony Thursday, Dec. 17, in Bud Walton Arena.

Harrington, a U of A alumna, is well known throughout the bakery business and has made an impact in the manufacturing, transportation, quick service restaurant segment, real estate and construction industries nationwide.

CORDIA HARRINGTON

As early as fifth grade when she turned her backyard into the neighborhood daycare, Cordia Harrington has always been driven to be successful. Having excelled in manufacturing, transportation, the quick service restaurant segment, real estate and construction, her impeccable business acumen has earned her a spot on Forbes magazine’s list of 100 wealthiest self-made women in 2020.

Harrington was born in Waco, Texas, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, with her parents and two siblings. She attended the University of Arkansas, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1975 from the College of Agriculture – now the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. 

She was the first in her family to graduate from college and went on to open her own real estate business with all $587 of her savings. That business eventually became the award-winning Concept One Realtors and Concept One Construction, based in Russellville.

Harrington’s real estate business sold to Coldwell Bankers in 1989, but her career was still in its infancy. That same year, she graduated from McDonald’s Hamburger University as a registered applicant and purchased a McDonald’s franchise. Proving her ability to lead and motivate, Harrington earned the opportunity to build two additional McDonald’s restaurants. To grow her sales, she purchased a Greyhound Bus franchise, bringing 88 busloads of customers each day, which eventually helped her reach the top 40 in sales among all McDonald’s franchises in the United States.

That success parlayed into where she is today as the founder and chief executive officer of the The Bakery Cos. The company includes six plants and 14 product lines serving elite customers in the U.S., Caribbean and South America. The business includes Bakery Express, a trucking firm, and Cold Storage of Nashville, a freezer facility.

Harrington’s focus on regulations, sustainability, employee policies and development have led the company to grow organically into a state-of-the-art business, winning numerous awards from both industry publications and customers.

Her passion for innovation, sponsorship of human resources best practices and ability to deliver on innovative strategy have earned respect in an industry based in conventional practices. Her elite customers include McDonald’s, O’Charley’s, Sara Lee, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, ConAgra, Pepperidge Farm, Five Guys, and Tyson, among others.

In addition to her recognition in Forbes, Harrington was named Nashville Post’s 2020 CEO of the Year. Harrington was inducted into the American Society of Baking Hall of Fame in February 2018, and Directors & Boards magazine named her a “Director to Watch.” She received the Most Admired CEO Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nashville Business Journal in 2017. In 2016, Harrington was named Johnson Fellow by the University of Arkansas, awarded the Excellence in Entrepreneurship award by Millikin University, and inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women of Achievement. Harrington was named to the list of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Businesses (Women President’s Organization) in 2016 and was the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Southeast Program) in 2015. 

Along with her great business savvy, Harrington is also known for her strong faith, business ethics and leadership experience with community, business and civic boards. She served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Nashville Branch from 2008-2013 and as 2019-2020 chair of the Chief Executives Organization Board of Directors. She is president-elect for the American Bakers Association Board of Directors and is a member of the Belmont University Board of Trustees Executive Committee. 

She has also served on the Boards of Directors for Williams Food and Zoes Kitchen, and she joined the Emergent Cold Board of Directors in 2018. She currently serves on the boards of Ascend Logistics, the Factory and Sageworth.

Harrington resides in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband Tom. They have five children and 10 grandchildren.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.