Founding father of family-owned truck cease large Love’s useless at 85

The founding father of one of many nation’s largest truck cease chains handed away early Tuesday from an sickness.

Love’s Journey Stops founder Tom Love died at age 85 in his hometown of Oklahoma Metropolis, based on a information launch from the corporate.

Love was born in 1937 in Oklahoma Metropolis and married his spouse Judy in 1960.

“In 1964, Tom and Judy Love used $5,000 to lease an deserted service station in Watonga, a small rural city northwest of Oklahoma Metropolis. From a modest starting, the then-named Musket Company opened 40 shops in eight years in western Oklahoma. Tom’s eager and discerning sense for enterprise and imaginative and prescient to develop the corporate resulted in Love’s establishing a brand new idea – the nation retailer – that mixed present enterprise fashions for grocery and comfort shops with a self-service gasoline station. In 1972, Tom’s nation retailer in Guymon, Oklahoma, grew to become the primary retailer within the nation to mix self-service gasoline and grocery objects.  The unique nation retailer featured self-service gasoline, grocery and dairy objects and provided prolonged hours, seven days per week. This new retailer mannequin would assist Love’s finally emerge as one of the vital profitable personal companies in America,” the corporate acknowledged.

Tom Love opened his first journey cease on I-40 in Amarillo, Texas, in 1981.

Since then, the corporate has expanded dramatically, opening the 600th Love’s retailer in October 2022.

“Tom Love was a person of conviction who by no means wavered from the rules of honesty and integrity within the 59 years he spent creating the corporate he began together with his spouse, Judy,” mentioned Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “These tenets nonetheless information our firm and can as we transfer ahead. Tom all the time listened and was sincerely excited about realizing the tales of staff and prospects. He needed to listen to their ideas, concepts and hopes for them, their households and the corporate. He credited the corporate’s success to the individuals who labored for us. He may relate to all staff however had a tender spot for these on the frontline at shops. In lots of respects, he was an abnormal one who constructed a rare enterprise alongside his spouse Judy and his household, who he liked deeply.”

“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,” mentioned the Love Household. “He liked individuals, and that was evident in how he guided our household, operated the enterprise he began in 1964 and gave again to our neighborhood and organizations throughout the nation that serve others. He was all the time dedicated to serving to others succeed and opening the door for leaders, together with his youngsters and grandchildren, and we stay up for constructing upon his legacy. Whereas the grief we really feel is unmeasurable, we have a good time his life and can proceed his legacy of dwelling a life full of integrity, honesty and religion.”

The corporate “stays family-owned and operated,” based on the information launch.

Earlier this yr, Love’s introduced plans to open 25 journey stops, 15 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco places, and 30 new eating places in 2023 as a part of a strategic progress plan. The corporate additionally plans to start renovations on present truck cease places in 2023.