Buc Ee`s Owner Article
Co-founders Don Wasek and Arch «Beaver» Aplin opened their first store as partners in Clute, Texas in 1982 (it is still open). Aplin formed the name Buc-ee`s by combining his childhood nickname; the name of his Labrador retriever, Buck; as well as the attraction of ipana toothpaste`s animated mascot, Bucky the Beaver. [7] [8] Aplin was born in southeast Texas, his father was from Harrisonburg, Louisiana, and his grandparents lived in Harrisonburg, Louisiana. [9] In 2012, Buc-ee`s opened its largest travel center in New Braunfels, Texas, on Interstate 35. With 68,000 square meters, the New Braunfels site is the largest convenience store in the world. [10] The store has 120 gas stations, 1,000 parking spaces, 64 ice freezers, 83 washrooms, 31 cash registers, four ice makers and 80 fountain dispensers. It also provides pipes and water equipment to enjoy the nearby Guadalupe River. The Store in New Braunfels, Texas, was named «Best WCROOM in America» by Cintas in 2012. [11] In late 2018, Buc-ee`s announced a contract with Tooshlights to install special lights in bathrooms to alert customers of busy and unoccupied stalls. This is similar to the indicator lights used on some parking facilities, which tell drivers which parking spaces are available and which are not. Katy and Temple Buc-ee stores would be the first to receive special bathroom lights.
[18] Buc-ee`s opened its first store in Georgia on November 18, 2019 at Warner Robins, near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Russell Parkway. Buc-ee`s chose Warner Robins as the location for its first store in Georgia because of its central location between Atlanta and Florida,[29] rapid population growth, and the presence of Robins Air Force Base. The Warner Robins site opened on November 18, 2020, exactly one year after the groundbreaking date, bringing 200 jobs to the region. [30] Buc-ee`s opened a store in World Golf Village in Northeast Florida in February 2021, bringing about 250 jobs to the area. [31] Buc-ee`s opened its second store in Georgia in Calhoun in August 2021 at Exit 310 of Interstate 75 and SR-53 (Union Grove Road) halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, employing 175 jobs. [32] After spending the summers pumping gas and working at his grandparents` business spying on a vacant lot in Lake Jackson, Texas, he knew exactly what to do with it. In 1982, he opened a 3,000-square-foot store at 899 Oyster Creek Drive, on the border of Clute and Jackson Lake, according to Texas Monthly, which recently published a review of the chain`s early days. Inspired by his longtime nickname Beaver and his beloved Lab Buck, he named buc-ee`s store with a cartoon beaver as his mascot. Aplin and Wasek decided to expand after doing very well with their first location. As the business grew, the owners remained committed to providing a family-friendly environment for their customers, let alone «america`s cleanest bathrooms.» In 2012, Buc-ee`s received the title after Cintas held a national competition, according to the company`s website.However, the main attraction will be the toilets. Katy`s near-finished toilets, as well as those at Buc-ee`s other travel centers, were designed by Aplin himself. Rooms for men and women will have spacious entrances decorated with Texas-style cards and souvenirs. You will have high ceilings and bright lighting with sandstone colored tiles. The men`s room will have 30 urinals and 12 toilets, the ladies` room 28 toilets. Each stand will have walls, no thin partitions and a surprisingly heavy metal door. And they are patrolled 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by uniformed employees whose only job is to keep them spotless. The owner of Buc-ee`s gives Greg Abbott large sums of money, so Arch «Beaver» Aplin III, the co-owner of Buc-ee`s, would be financially well-off, given the success of his convenience store/gas station chain over the past few decades.
Although his net worth has not been made public, his previous political gifts alone indicate that he is unlikely to struggle. Buc-ee owner and former Texas A&M Aggie Arch «Beaver» Aplin III is donating $50 million to the school for a new college center that will serve as an immersive learning lab for students, according to a press release. The Immaculate Toilet is the crown jewel of the Buc-ee Empire. (Photo by Matthew Mahon for Forbes) After significant expansion into the Greater Houston area and central Texas, the first Buc-ee`s opened at the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in Terrell, Texas on June 22, 2015. The travel center is located three miles west of Tanger Outlets on Interstate 20. In September 2015, it was announced that at least part of Buc-ee`s operations would be moved to offices at the Pearland Town Center. The «sub-headquarters» would house the company`s legal and human resources departments. The space should be ready in early 2016,[12] It was in 2003 that Buc-ee`s became the Buc-ee we all know and love. That`s when they opened their outpost in Luling, Texas, right on the highway. It offered grilled sandwiches, Buc-ee brand t-shirts and Beaver Nuggets and was absolutely massive and always growing.
In 2006 it expanded to 17,000 square meters and in 2009 it almost doubled again, from a supermarket to a roadside attraction. Now, Buc-ee`s has a total of 34 stores and the self-proclaimed «Disney of Convenience Stores» crossed state borders for the first time with its store in Baldwin County, Alabama, a huge 50,000-square-foot store on I-10. They also plan to open several stores in Florida. In June 2018, Buc-ee`s approached landowners in Texarkana, Texas, with an interest in space on Interstate 30 and State Line Ave., for a future store location. The company has the option to purchase the property, but has not yet exercised this option. [16] [17] In June 2021, Buc-ee plans to lay the foundation stone for a new travel center at 2045 Genesis Road, near Interstate 40 in Crossville, Tennessee, on June 15. This will be Buc-ee`s first location in the state of Tennessee. Buc-ee`s Crossville will occupy more than 53,400 square feet and offer 120 gas stations right across the street from its store with snack, meal and beverage options for travelers. The new company plans to bring at least 175 new jobs to the site. [36] It has been called one of the best places for a road trip. [37] Arch «Beaver» Aplin III, owner of texas gas station chain Buc-ee`s, has supported the Texas Republican Party for some time and even publicly supports members of the state`s Republican Party.
In 2014, some Texans were upset (there was even talk of a boycott) after Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick boasted of having Aplin`s support after his victory in the primaries. By the way, the store is still there, an important step in Aplin`s mission, because from the moment the store opened its doors, Aplin already had big plans for the future of the store, telling the local newspaper that a chain of buc-ee could come next.