Image by Matt Odom

Why do some convenience store employees leave their stores after just a month while others never leave?

CSP I spoke to four workers who fall into the latter category: those who have turned an hourly job into a career.

Here is the second story in the series featuring Kelly Stokes (pictured below) of Southwest Georgia Oil Co.

Click here to learn more about the current labor market and hiring situation at convenience stores.

Stokes, a district manager at SunStop C-Stores operated by Southwest Georgia Oil in Bainbridge, Georgia, began working in convenience stores at age 19.

She worked in the c-store business for 15 years, then moved into another industry when her store closed. Stokes later worked as a part-time cashier at a c-store that was acquired by SunStop, a chain that now has 80 stores. After about six months, she was promoted to assistant manager and a year later to general manager, a position she held for 11 years. Stokes has been a district manager for three years.

• Southwest Georgia Oil Co. Inc./SunStop is No. 86 on CSPs 2024 Top202 Ranking of US convenience store chains by number of stores.

In her early 20s, she realized she was good at her job and initially considered pursuing a career in the c-store business. Stokes says the opportunity for advancement was one of the main reasons she stayed.

She also says that there is a “great family atmosphere, and that makes the work enjoyable. Everyone knows everyone in the company, even our president (Glennie Bench). She is very personable.”

Stokes has held many positions, so one of her greatest strengths is her ability to interact with colleagues.

Read more: Breaking the stigma: Kwik Trip’s Jake Vogel shares his career journey

“(I know) what it feels like to be a store manager and what it feels like to have just lost two employees in one day, or to be the cashier who is tired and at the end of her rope and has a child at home,” she says.

The company offers a variety of training opportunities, including leadership development. A few months ago, Stokes attended a conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Based on her learnings there, she will speak on employee engagement and retention at the NACS Show in Las Vegas in October.

She has been surveying employees all summer to gauge their motivation and loyalty. Based on the results, SunStop will implement an employee rewards program and after three months she will conduct another survey to measure the results.

To inspire others, Stokes makes it a point to share her story with as many colleagues as possible and show them that they, too, can excel in a company.

“I started this journey at a young age and climbed the corporate ladder,” she says. “I know many of my managers say I inspire them to do better and want to move up. I help them do that.”

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