Meijer Gas Stations

Meijer, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., bills itself as “The Original Supercenter.” Founded in the 1930s by Hendrik and Fred Meijer as “Thrifty Acres,” the innovative company later was renamed Meijer. The company opened its first Thrifty Acres combination food and general merchandise store in 1962.

The company’s website says the chain has always been a leader in technology, from checkout scanners to the launch of its website in the 1990s. Meijer was one of the first stores in the 1980s to stay open 24 hours a day. The chain continued to grow in Michigan and beyond to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, with expansion to Wisconsin planned in 2015. Overall, Meijer plans nine new c-stores in 2015.

Meijer is a multibillion-dollar retailer with 193 supercenter stores, of which 182 include fuel and a convenience store. Another seven Meijer gas stations and convenience stores are separate from a supercenter.

The company ranked as the 13^th-largest privately held company in the country and one of the top 75 most reputable companies in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine.