Huck's Convenience Stores

Founded in 1960 as a small supermarket chain in Southern Illinois, Martin & Bayley launched its first convenience store, Huck’s, in 1974.

Forty years later, the retailer is among the relatively few that is owned by its employees.  Considered among one of the most culturally-empowered companies, Huck’s employs more than 1,200 people and still caters to a primarily rural market.

For Huck’s, it’s a people-first culture. Employees are trained according to the philosophy that "customers are the most important focus." And a couple of times every year, the entire senior management team visits each store to discuss programs with employees, soliciting feedback and insights from the staff and driving open communication with all employees.

Management credits the company’s steady year-over-year growth to this engagement management style.