POWELL, Tenn. - Weigel??s Stores, founded in 1931 by brothers William and Lynn Weigel, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this summer. As East Tennessee??s only family-owned local dairy, Weigel??s operates 56 convenience stores with more than 500 employees in Knoxville and surrounding areas, including the recently opened Lake City location.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary, Weigel??s "80 Days of Wow" campaign kicks off June 13 through August 31, and will give away $200,000 in prizes via social media and in-store promotions. The summer-long celebration culminates in a grand prize cookout in early September.
"The 80th Anniversary is about celebrating our 80 years in business from the day my dad bought his first cows," Chairman and CEO Bill Weigel said. "That was the beginning. Over the years, we??ve survived economic ups and downs, and we plan on continuing with the next generation. In the meantime, I??m loving every minute of it."
The family business began when William and Lynn Weigel purchased six cows. The brothers were the first in Knoxville to pasteurize milk in 1935, and by 1956, Weigel??s milked more than 400 cows daily and led the industry with an innovative aluminum irrigation system, the first of its kind in East Tennessee.
Weigel??s operated drive-thru milk depots in the early 1960s. Bill Weigel opened Knoxville??s first convenience store in 1964, and in 1967 introduced the ICEE frozen dispensed beverage brand to the Knoxville market ?" ICEE??s first market in Tennessee. In 1970, Weigel??s installed the first self-service gas pumps in Knoxville.
In addition to its proprietary skim milk, Skim D??Lite, Weigel??s signature products include in-store, fresh-baked Bun-on-the-Run breakfast biscuits, Monkey Ice frozen drinks, fresh-brewed Kona coffee and flavored cappuccinos. In January 2011, Weigel??s introduced no-surcharge ATMs ?" another first for the Knoxville market.
Bill Weigel??s son, Kurt Weigel, director of recruiting, represents the third generation of family management. "I??m proud that my son Kurt has the same passion for the business ?" taking care of customers," said Weigel.
The U.S. convenience store industry is rich with history and innovation ?" visit NACS50.com to find out more.