Sheetz

Sheetz, Inc.

File:Sheetz Logo.png
Company type	Private
Industry	Convenience stores Fast food Gas stations
Founded	1952
Founder	Bob Sheetz
Headquarters	Altoona, Pennsylvania , USA
Number of locations	446
Key people	Steve Sheetz, Chairman Stan Sheetz, CEO
Products	MTO, Sheetz Bros. Coffee, Gasoline
Revenue	$5.23 Billion USD (2011)
Number of employees	more than 13,600 (2011)
Website	Sheetz.com

Interior of a Super Sheetz in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Sheetz fuel canopy in Breezewood, Pennsylvania

A Sheetz location in Kent, Ohio.

Map of Sheetz locations as of July 2011

Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Its headquarters are in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Sheetz has long employed the "Z" that the name ends with in various marketing efforts. These include the Sheetz loadable gift card, the "Z" card; the Sheetz breakfast sandwich, known and marketed as "Shmuffinz"; and their "Nachoz."

History

Sheetz, Inc was founded by Bob Sheetz in 1952 when he purchased one of his father's five dairy stores located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. In 1961, Bob hired his brother Steve to work part-time at the store.

In 1963 the second store was opened under the name "Sheetz Kwik Shopper." Five years later, they opened the third store. In 1969, Steve joined Bob in the business as general manager. The brothers planned to expand at the rate of one store per year with a target of seven stores by 1972. In 1972, the company expanded from seven to fourteen stores. One year later, Sheetz added gasoline pumps and introduced self-serve gasoline to Central Pennsylvania.

By 1983, Bob and Steve had opened 100 stores. The following year, Bob retired and handed over the leadership of the company to his brother Steve.

In 1995, Stan Sheetz, Bob's son, became president and Steve assumed the position of Chairman of the Board. To this day, Sheetz maintains a family business with five family members serving on the Executive Committee.

During the mid-1990s, Sheetz also sold It! Cola, the chain's own private-label brand of soft drinks available in cans, bottles, and as fountain drinks. Despite a cult following, the drink was discontinued for unknown reasons and the fountains were replaced with Pepsi products. The chain now has both Pepsi and Coca-Cola products in the fountains, though in older stores with fewer fountain spots available it is still predominantly Pepsi products, with Coca-Cola and Diet Coke as the only Coke-related options.

In 2003, Sheetz opened a concept store in the food court of Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This location offered Sheetz' made-to-order foods and fountain beverages in a more traditional fast food layout; it did not function as a convenience store. The store has since closed.

In early 2004, Sheetz opened the world's first "Convenience Restaurant" in Altoona, PA. In December 2004 they began offering the new Sheetz MasterCard PayPass with RFID technology built into the card, and was one of the first retailers of any sector to accept such technology, ahead of McDonald's, Arby's, CVS, and rival 7-Eleven, all of which rolled it out nationally in 2006.

On July 10, 2006 Sheetz became Pennsylvania's second retail chain to offer E85 ethanol-based fuel alternative at the select stations.

Sheetz now has more than 400 locations across six states — Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina — and more than 13,600 employees. All Sheetz stores are company-owned-and-operated. The company has no plans to sell franchises.

Food service

Sheetz started off with their signature "MTO" name, which stands for "Made To Order." By 1999, Sheetz was selling 10,000 MTO units a day. Sheetz now trains employees to function as baristas for their newest brand of "Sheetz Bros. Coffeez", which are designed to be higher-grade coffee than typically found in convenience stores. With the introduction of the "Convenience Restaurant" concept, they have expanded their menu. Customers can purchase made-to-order sandwiches and hot dogs, as well as pizza, panini grilled sandwiches, breakfast items, salads and chili. French fries, chicken strips, and other fried appetizers are available at all locations. The Espresso Bar, which offers specialty coffees, are also available at certain locations. During 2008-2009, Sheetz rolled out "MTGo!", a grab and go assortment of sandwiches, wraps and other small items for the customer in a hurry. Along with "MTGo!", Sheetz unveiled "Shweetz Bakery" items including donuts, fritters and cinnamon rolls all made and delivered daily from the new "Sheetz Bros. Kitchen" in Claysburg, PA.

Sheetz regularly offers customers free coffee on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Alcohol sales in Pennsylvania

Sheetz is actively engaged in attempts to change alcohol sales laws in Pennsylvania to allow sales in convenience stores, and has extensively promoted PA HB 970. By Pennsylvania state law, alcohol can't be sold in convenience stores (beer must be sold at a beer distributor while hard liquor must be sold at state-operated stores titled "Wines & Spirits"). In 2007, Sheetz tried to find a loophole around this by classifying part of one of their prototype stores in Altoona as a restaurant, which would permit alcohol sales. However, the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania protested and Sheetz was temporarily barred from selling beer. On appeal, Sheetz was awarded the license to sell beer and continues to do so today. On June 15, 2009, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave Sheetz permission to sell beer for takeout under the condition that it is also available to drink on site.

Fuel

A Sheetz tank truck ready to refill the gasoline reservoirs

All Sheetz stores feature three grades of gasoline (octanes 87, 89, and 92/93), most offer kerosene, and many offer diesel. A few Sheetz gas stations in the Pittsburgh and Harrisburg areas, as well as a location in Wytheville, Virginia, have begun to offer E85.

Awards

In 2001, Sheetz won a Silver Plate Award from the International Food Manufacturers Association. Forbes ranked Sheetz as the 79th top privately held company in 2006.

Sheetz was ranked as the 12th best large company to work for in Pennsylvania in the 2007 Best Places to Work in PA survey. In the same survey in 2006, Sheetz was ranked 22nd. In 2005, Sheetz was ranked 12th. In Ohio, Sheetz is ranked in the top 5 places to work.

Use of trans fats

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has requested that the Pennsylvania legislature require of Sheetz and other fast food retailers that they phase out their use of all trans fats, an action which Sheetz, in part, is fighting.

External links

• Sheetz