FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Super Quik Inc. as been honored as 2009 Convenience Store of the Year during the Kentucky Grocers Association/Kentucky Association of Convenience Stores (KGA/KACS) 68th annual celebration and annual meeting. G. Lynn Rice, president of the Flatwoods, Ky.-based chain, accepted the award on behalf of all Super Quik employees.
During his acceptance speech, Rice (pictured) told the 230 attendees, "People will make you or break you. I personally feel that this industry's future is bright and that our employees are willing and able to take on any challenge [image-nocss] that we may face."
Lynn's remarks focused on how smaller c-store operators have to be "on their game plan" everyday to avoid the many pitfalls in front of them. He also said he believes that big operators can't "get it all" and smaller independent operators can do well if they are quick on their feet and flexible in their thinking and planning.
Rice went to work for Ashland Petroleum Co. in the early 1970s. As Ashland was developing its Save Mart Convenient Store Division, Lynn transferred there and worked as a supervisor until 1979.
A longtime friend of the family, Jerald Witten, had recently sold his 100-store chain in Texas and was starting the Super Quik c-stores in the Ashland area. Rice left Ashland Petroleum and began a new career running the Super Quik stores. At that time, there were three Super Quik stores and two laundromats. Since that time, the company has grown to 15 high-volume c-stores and seven branded foodservice operations.
In June 2005, Witten sold the company to the employees, creating a 100% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) organization. Every full-time employee that works 500 hours per year qualifies for a stock allocation that year.
As president of Super Quik, Rice has delivered remarkable changes for the employees. The level of execution and employee responsiveness has improved dramatically. The company is now able to implement and run programs that were not possible before and are now taking the company to higher levels of performance.
"An ESOP cannot make a bad company good; rather they can make a good company better," said Rice.
As the company has continued to pay down debt incurred for the ESOP, it will be looking to acquire profitable retail or foodservice operations, he added.
KGA/KACS is a joint statewide trade association representing approximately 550 member companies operating in a retail food and convenience marketplace of 3,300 locations across Kentucky. Membership includes retailers, wholesalers, distributors and related suppliers to the grocery, supermarket and c-store industries.
Super Quik employs approximately 250 people who work in the company's 15 Super Quik gasoline/c-stores, six Subway locations, two Mr. Klean Laundromats, a Papa John's Pizza location and a car wash.
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