Company:
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores
Founded:
1964 in Watonga, Oklahoma
Corporate structure:
Privately held by the Love family
Brands:
Love’s Country Stores – convenience stores
Love’s Travel Stops – interstate highway travel centers
Gemini Motor Transport – petroleum fuel hauler
Love’s Truck Tire Care – tire care and roadside assistance
Number of retail sites:
more than 290 in 39 states nationwide
Annual revenues:
more than $17 billion
Number of employees:
approximately 10,000
Headquarters:
10601 N Pennsylvania Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
www.loves.com
1-800-388-0983
Awards:
1991 – "Corporation of the Year" by the Oklahoma City chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International.
2000 — Winner of the Outlook Award for innovation in the convenience store industry awarded by the Sales & Marketing Executives International.
2001 – Love’s debuts on Forbes Magazine’s annual list of the 500 Largest Private Companies in the U.S. at #446.
2003 — Love’s jumps to 188 on the Forbes magazine list of 500 Largest Private Companies in the U.S.
2006 — Love’s rises to no. 64 on the annual Forbes list of the 500 Largest Private Companies.
2009 — Finalist for the Beacon Award presented by the Journal Record business publication for its “Making a Difference from the Heart” corporate philanthropy campaign.
2011 – Love's ranked No. 7 on the Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies, making the biggest move on the list of 212 companies, jumping 11 spots from last year's ranking of No. 18.
Corporate Timeline:
1964 – Tom and Judy Love incorporate Musket Corporation, the predecessor to Love's Country Stores, and lease an abandoned filling station in Watonga, Oklahoma for $5,000.
1972 – The first Love's Country Store opens in Guymon, Oklahoma. The store combines a convenience store concept with self-service gasoline.
1978 – Love's Country Stores expands to 60 locations in small communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. In-store delis were added to make fresh sandwiches onsite.
1981 – Love's adds to its 90 existing Love's Country Stores by opening its first interstate Love's Travel Stop on I-40 in Amarillo, Texas.
1985 – Love's adds a full range of gifts and novelties to its retail locations.
1992 – Love's debuts quick-service restaurants in its locations with a Taco Bell Express in an Oklahoma City travel stop.
1998 – Love's partners with Children's Miracle Network to hold an annual in-store fundraiser. Over the next 12 years, Love's will have raised more than $4 million for children's medical research.
2008 – Love's debuts it's Truck Tire Care concept, offering roadside assistance and tire care at select Travel Stop locations.
2010 – Love's acquires 20 Pilot Travel Centers and six Flying J locations as a result of antitrust concerns regarding the Pilot-Flying J merger.
2011 – Love's operates more than 265 locations and employs almost 8,000 people in 39 states. With annual sales exceeding $17 billion, Love's is a proven leader in the travel stop and services industry and is continuing to grow at a rate of approximately 15 locations a year.