Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024. The travel center chain opened its first store in Watonga, Oklahoma, in 1964, when owners Tom and Judy Love were looking for a way to support their family.
“They leased a filling station in Watonga and with Tom’s boots-on-the ground, community and people-focused mentality he kept his entire career, that one store led to a nationally recognized brand,” the company said on Monday, its anniversary date.
“While a lot has changed in six decades, the heart of Love’s has not, and it’s now alive in four generations of our family,” said the Love Family. “We are so grateful for our incredible team members—past and present—whose contributions play a role in shaping our company. Growth and innovation of our product offerings, living our core values and culture daily, and dedication to clean places, friendly faces are what this company was started on in 1964. Today, we proudly stand on that foundation and know our best is still ahead of us.”
Love’s 60th anniversary celebrations will take place throughout the year and include promotions, community giving initiative and more to be announced on social media.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. is No. 14on CSP's 2023 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by store count.
Love’s is the only major travel stop that is family-owned and -operated, the Oklahoma City-based company said. Its national travel-stop and convenience-store network has 637 locations in 42 states, with nearly 40,000 employees in North America and Europe. Its family of companies also includes Musket Corp., Trillium Energy Solutions, Gemini and Speedco.
While much has changed over the years, Love’s culture and its philosophy of treating team members like family remains, the company said. It earned the No. 1 spot in the first Better Work Awards presented by jobs and hiring site Indeed in 2023.
“Tom Love said it best, ‘yesterday’s trophies don’t win tomorrow’s games,’ and even after six decades we still live by that motto, constantly innovating and improving,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “The secret formula behind the company’s success is our employees and how they model the core values Love’s was built on and sustain a legacy of driving for excellence.”
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