ANDERSON, S.C. -- QuikTrip Corp. has expanded its growth plans in South Carolina, reported The Independent Mail. The company confirmed 10 months ago that it would build three stores in Anderson County, S.C., one of which is currently under construction. The other two have not yet broken ground. It now has plans for three additional locations in the county, said the report, as well as three in Spartanburg, S.C., and a fourth in Greenville County, S.C.
QuikTrip has purchased property at the old location of the Anderson Special Events site. It has plans for a fifth [image-nocss] store under review with the county building and codes, the office's director, Barry Holcombe, told the newspaper. And a sixth store is in the earliest stages of development in Pendleton, the town's planning director, Kris Kurjiaka, told the paper.
The chain has invested at least $2 million into one of the stores in Anderson, paying about $1.45 million for the land and about $495,000 to build the store and fuel canopy. Also, county records cited by the paper show the company paid $1.7 million for a 4.3-acre property in December and $1.1 million for a 2.3-acre property, according to county records.
No other purchases are on file yet, the report said.
Kenneth Cosgrove, president of Piedmont Petroleum Co. and the South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores, said QuikTrip's interest in the "Upstate" region of South Carolina is a testament to the area's strong economy. He called the Upstate area South Carolina's "economic engine."
"In a way, we are honored they are choosing to compete here," Cosgrove told the Independent Mail. "It's what we already know about the Upstate. It's a wonderful place to do business and raise a family."
As a fellow business owner, he said, he would be interested to see how the Tulsa, Okla.-based chain adjusts to a South Carolina business culture that prizes longstanding relationships with customers. QuikTrip has been a fixture in suburban Atlanta for about 20 years.
"QuikTrip is widely considered to be the best-run convenience stores in the country," Cosgrove added. "But this is a different place from Atlanta. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the change."
Anderson County building and codes records indicate QuikTrip plans stores measuring 5,700 square feet with brick exteriors, the report said.
QuikTrip's director of store operations, Tim Heuback, said the company also has three stores under development in Spartanburg, S.C., and a fourth under way in Greenville County, S.C.
"There's a lot more that I'm sure are in the works," he told the paper.
Heuback said the Upstate's high population density, coupled with its relatively warm, brief winters and proximity to existing stores in Atlanta made expansion here a natural fit. The company also has corporate offices in Charlotte, N.C.
QuikTrip will bring some experienced managers to the area but will also be hiring locally, the report added.
"These will be good jobs from day one, especially considering our rate of growth in the area," Heuback said.
He said gasoline prices at QuikTrip will be "extremely competitive."
The company operates approximately 575 c-stores in nine states.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.