BS BULLETIN:
- Buc-ee’s CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III says conservative, business-friendly states have a big advantage when the travel-center giant decides where to expand.
- “Life’s too short” to build where businesses aren’t appreciated, he said.
- One complication: Buc-ee’s is simultaneously taking heat from conservatives in Ohio over its lawsuit against a tiny convenience store.
If you’re wondering why businesses keep migrating toward red America, the man behind Buc-ee’s just provided a remarkably simple explanation:
Life’s too short.
Buc-ee’s co-founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III delivered the message at the Aug. 17 grand opening of the chain’s 58th location — and first in Arkansas — in Benton. His comments are getting fresh national attention this week as Buc-ee’s continues its aggressive expansion across America. “We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places,” Aplin told the crowd.
But then came the part that should probably be stapled to the door of every governor’s office in America: “When you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference.”
And Aplin wasn’t finished. “I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you’re building.”
There it is. No 600-page economic-development study required. Aplin said the winning formula is “conservative, business-friendly, family-oriented” leadership that runs from the governor’s office all the way through senators, members of Congress, mayors and local representatives.
And Buc-ee’s isn’t exactly a lemonade stand.
Its massive travel centers can span roughly 74,000 square feet, offer around 120 fueling positions and create more than 200 jobs. The company now operates 58 locations, including 37 in Texas, with more openings planned through the end of the decade.
The company itself currently lists upcoming locations in Tennessee, Louisiana, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders certainly understood Aplin’s message. She celebrated the opening and amplified his remarks about the importance of conservative, business-friendly government.
But before conservatives nominate the Buc-ee’s beaver for Treasury secretary, there is an awkward little problem back in another red state.
Ohio. Buc-ee’s has managed to infuriate residents there by suing Beaver’s Mini Mart, a small Beavercreek convenience store, alleging trademark infringement over its smiling beaver logo.
Buc-ee’s says the branding could cause consumer confusion. The mini mart has no gas pumps, however, and Republican state Rep. Levi Dean says it sits 16 miles from Buc-ee’s and isn’t a meaningful competitor to the giant travel center.
The reaction has been brutal.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called the lawsuit “absurd,” while residents and local businesses have rallied around Beaver’s Mini Mart. The controversy has generated boycott calls and national attention.
So Buc-ee’s may have stumbled onto two lessons about doing business in conservative America.
Yes, people appreciate companies that bring investment, jobs and opportunity.
They also tend to appreciate the little guy.
MY QUICK TAKE
I absolutely love Aplin’s “life’s too short” line.
Businesses don’t have to keep begging politicians to let them succeed. There are states that actually want the jobs, investment and tax base — and Buc-ee’s is perfectly free to build there.
But Beaver, my friend, there’s another part of the conservative-business-friendly thing: We like small businesses too. So build the giant Buc-ee’s in red America, bring the brisket, bring the Beaver Nuggets, bring those legendary bathrooms.
And maybe let the little Ohio beaver live.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox Business — Buc-ee’s CEO signals expansion shift toward conservative states
- USA Today/Yahoo Finance — Buc-ee’s CEO eyes ‘conservative, business-friendly states’ for expansion
- Associated Press — Buc-ee’s draws Ohio backlash over Beaver’s Mini Mart lawsuit
- Ohio House — Rep. Levi Dean urges Buc-ee’s to withdraw lawsuit against local small business
- Buc-ee’s — Upcoming locations
