Holts say success comes from hiring good people
CEA winner in Retail & Hospitality: Holt Oil Co.
April 30, 2010By Josh Spilker
The first convenience store opened by Holt Oil in Wilmington was in “the boonies” when it first opened in 1991 in Porters Neck, according to operations director Hannah Holt.
“We were one of the first buildings,” Hannah said. “We had a hard time finding help.”
That store is at the corner of Porters Neck Road and Market Street, a busy corner with large grocery stores and restaurants nearby. As things have changed all around the store, Holt Oil Co. has also always had an eye on change while maintaining its family ownership.
In addition to Hannah overseeing company operations, her cousin Bill supervises the management of the stores.
Holt Oil was initially a heating and air conditioner company in the 1930s in Fayetteville started by Bill and Hannah’s grandfather. That company morphed into a gasoline provider when a local Amoco franchise folded. The family vacationed nearby in the surrounding beaches and their family always liked the spot near U.S. 17 and Market Street.
When the owner was looking to sell, the Holts nabbed it. “We always thought this was a good corner,” Bill said.
Now, there are six stores in the Wilmington area, and also six Subway franchises.
Though the stores are under the chain name, C-Stores, the Holts try to make each store unique. Some have a general store-type design while others are more modern. Each are personalized. For instance, the location in Porters Neck features trim of the Figure Eight Island horizon line. The employees in Maco wear train hats to remember the Maco Light.
“We try to make it unique to the area – we try to personalize it,” Hannah said.
In addition to their growing business, Holt Oil has found time for environmental concerns. At their Porters Neck store, there is a large oak tree that was saved during the construction process. Each year the company hosts a golf tournament to benefit the Coastal Land Trust. This year’s tournament is May 19 at Magnolia Greens, the 8th year of the tournament.
Success in convenience stores depends on the margins, Bill said. Sometimes gas will be more of the profits, other times it’s the other items that sell. But being flexible with new product offerings and store setups influence how customers purchase.
“You have to be flexible and roll with the times,” Hannah said. The introduction of Subways into their stores and more open floor designs are recent changes that have come to convenient stores. Cleanliness and organization are also big factors, Bill said.
“But most of all, you have to have good people,” Bill said.
