Summer may have ended but there’s no shortage of warm feelings surrounding all of us at Wawa.  In fact, October is proving to be one of the most Values-packed and prideful months of the year. 
 
Everyone knows it’s a busy time here at Wawa, but amidst all the hustle and bustle, our commitment to “value people” has come to the forefront.  During October, we are commemorating Employee Ownership Month here at Wawa. And, we are taking time to celebrate the value of our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) with programs that engage our associate owners and the greater Wawa family and community. Associates will receive special calendars with daily facts about our ESOP as well as ribbons to wear with their name tags celebrating employee ownership.

You may be wondering about our stock – because, as you know, we are a privately-held company. Wawa is family owned and operated, and the majority of our company stock is still owned by the founding family.  In addition to Wawa family members, more than 8,000 Wawa Associates participate in our ESOP and collectively have a 28% ownership stake in the company. We are proud of the unique ownership structure we have and the constant source of strength it has been through the years. To us, our ESOP is part of what unites our associates and engages our entire organization to achieve our plans and sustain our growth. The ESOP creates an opportunity for our associates to literally take stock in their futures, and that’s something we’re all passionate about.

In addition to celebrating our ESOP, last week we also held our annual Service Awards, an event where we celebrate the longevity of hundreds of Associates and their contributions to our history.  While our growth numbers are always important to us, it’s a number that hasn’t grown that we all cherish most – our extremely low employee turnover rate. In back-to-back events, we marked the milestone anniversaries first of our 1, 5 and 10-year associates in pep rally fashion; followed by an elegant dinner honoring our 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and even 40 year associates. Celebrating our associates’ tenure through this two-day event was a great way to recognize and celebrate all the associates who have grown with our company and made our company grow, and thank them for turning our unique culture into what it is today.

Part of being a leader in convenience is living our commitment to value people-- both our Wawa people and our customers that make up our extended family.   Although October still has a few weeks left, the impact of this month’s events has truly made me feel so lucky to be part of a company with such a special group of people driving the principals of our culture each and every day.

“Till next time…