Landmark Industries/Timewise

Houston-based Landmark Industries is a major convenience-store operator and fuel marketer in Texas. Its company-owned Timewise c-stores generally run 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, but newer locations are climbing upwards of 5,000 square feet.

Each store has unique attributes, says Marshall Dujka, one of four partner-owners, with distinctive inventory to reflect that given market. In Houston, for example, the company takes a "country store" approach and has stores near residential areas. Other locations are in more rural neighborhoods and may include more grocery items, dairy products or take-home foods.

"Houston and San Antonio are very competitive markets with lots of big-box stores," he says. "So we personalize our stores. Our managers know our customers and call them by their names." When Landmark plans new locations, it avoids sites near big-box stores and drug stores, which are becoming increasingly competitive with c-stores.