RaceTrac
Encyclopedia
RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc., is a corporation
that operates a chain of gasoline
stations and convenience store
s across the Southern United States
. The firm is Georgia’s third largest private company, with sales of $8 billion in 2009.
, with his first stores operating under the name Carl Bolch Trackside Stations. In 1959, Bolch relocated and acquired the Oil Well Company of Opp, Alabama
, which consisted of numerous independent outlets across rural Alabama.
His son, Carl Bolch Jr., who succeeded his father as chief executive, joined the company in Montgomery, Alabama
in 1967. After pioneering the concept of self-service gasoline in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, the company relocated its headquarters in 1976 to Atlanta, Georgia, and adopted the brand “RaceTrac” for its company-operated stations. RaceWay stations, operated by contractors, continue as a part of RaceTrac Petroleum.
In the 1990s RaceTrac operated as a cash-only business, but it now accepts credit, debit card
s and fleet cards.
RaceTrac operates over 300 stores under the RaceTrac name. These stores can be found in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
There are over 280 RaceWay-branded locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
from South Cobb High School in Austell, Ga
., to travel to Washington, D.C., and march in the inaugural parade for President-elect Barack Obama. It also donated 1,800 meals for band members to eat during their rehearsals.
Following record flooding in the Atlanta metropolitan area in September 2009, RaceTrac donated $10,000 worth of gas cards, bottled water, and ice to the relief effort. 500 cases of bottled water were distributed through the Center for Family Resources to flood victims in addition to more than $6,000 in RaceTrac gasoline
In December 2009, RaceTrac donated 42 of its gently used computers to the Marietta Housing Authority (MHA) to be used by students attending Marietta High School living under Section 8 housing. The computers will also be used by students participating in the MHA’s mentoring program in conjunction with the Marietta Schools Foundation
In December 2009, RaceTrac launched its "Coffee for a Cause" campaign to raise money for Camp Sunshine, an Atlanta-based organization committed to enriching the lives of children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs. The company donated all proceeds from its coffee sales in the Georgia region during the three-day fund-raiser. Signage featuring Santa Claus holding a RaceTrac cup of coffee and Camp Sunshine's mission statement was prominently placed throughout Georgia stores to remind RaceTrac patrons of the opportunity to make a contribution. RaceTrac’s benevolence encouraged other local organizations to participate, as well. Radio spots encouraging customer participation aired free of charge on 790 The Zone each day of the promotion.
RaceTrac supplier Colonial Coffee Roasters, Inc. donated enough coffee to make 10,000 cups of its finest brew to the cause. This made it possible for 100 percent of the proceeds to go toward Camp Sunshine’s mission. The three-day drive raised over $28,500 for Camp Sunshine.
In February 2010, RaceTrac chose another charity to benefit from its "Coffee for a Cause" campaign. From February 8 to 10 RaceTrac donated all profits from coffee sales at all locations to Haiti earthquake relief efforts. All funds raised were donated to The American Red Cross
The families of more than 45 RaceTrac employees were directly affected by the Haiti earthquakes, bringing the tragedy home to RaceTrac’s Cobb County headquarters. That connection, coupled with the heart-wrenching reports and images of the destruction left behind by the 6.1 magnitude quake, convinced RaceTrac's leadership to take action. Coffee is the company’s most purchased item, so it was decided to leverage the beverage's popularity with consumers. The company raised more than $100,000 for the American Red Cross.
In April 2011, RaceTrac teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's and raised more than $130,000. Through RaceTrac’s Coffee for a Cause promotion, proceeds from all coffee and specially marked World’s Finest Chocolate bars sold between April 25th¬–29th at each of RaceTrac’s more than 300 stores was donated to the Fox Foundation. In addition, Guests also had a chance to donate at the counter and online. RaceTrac’s support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation went beyond Coffee for a Cause. Along with signage promoting the weeklong campaign, Fox Foundation brochures and fact sheets about Parkinson’s were prominently placed in stores. Select Markets also hosted Founder’s Day 5K runs to draw attention to the cause. For each employee that participated in the race, RaceTrac donated $10 to the Foundation.
In October 2009, Carl Bolch Jr, chairman and CEO of RaceTrac, was named by Convenience Store News as their 2009 Retailer of the Year for pioneering forecourt retailing in the Southeast and making an indelible mark on the convenience industry overall.
In 2010, RaceTrac was recgonized by the Dallas Morning news as one of the best places to work in the Dallas area.
In 2011, RaceTrac was named a Top Workplace in Atlanta by The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
In one Daytona Beach case, Race Trac defended the practice on the grounds that the number of competitors they drove out of business with the practice was not large enough to meet the criteria of the law.
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
that operates a chain of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
stations and convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s across the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. The firm is Georgia’s third largest private company, with sales of $8 billion in 2009.
History
The company was founded by Carl Bolch Sr. in 1934 in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, with his first stores operating under the name Carl Bolch Trackside Stations. In 1959, Bolch relocated and acquired the Oil Well Company of Opp, Alabama
Opp, Alabama
Opp is a city in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 6,607. -Geography:Opp is located at . According to the U.S...
, which consisted of numerous independent outlets across rural Alabama.
His son, Carl Bolch Jr., who succeeded his father as chief executive, joined the company in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
in 1967. After pioneering the concept of self-service gasoline in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, the company relocated its headquarters in 1976 to Atlanta, Georgia, and adopted the brand “RaceTrac” for its company-operated stations. RaceWay stations, operated by contractors, continue as a part of RaceTrac Petroleum.
In the 1990s RaceTrac operated as a cash-only business, but it now accepts credit, debit card
Debit card
A debit card is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution...
s and fleet cards.
Locations
RaceTrac Petroleum, Inc. operates more than 590 retail gasoline convenience stores in 12 southeastern states under the RaceTrac (company-operated) and RaceWay (Contract Operator-operated) names. A standard RaceTrac features 20 to 24 fueling positions and a 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) or larger convenience store.RaceTrac operates over 300 stores under the RaceTrac name. These stores can be found in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
There are over 280 RaceWay-branded locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Community affairs
In January 2009, RaceTrac paid for the fuel for a trip taken by the Blue Eagles, a 95-member marching bandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
from South Cobb High School in Austell, Ga
Austell, Georgia
Austell is a city in Cobb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,581.-History:Austell used to be known as Salt Springs, and was frequented by hunters who would trap and hunt game on their way to the salt licks. Some enterprising hunters claimed...
., to travel to Washington, D.C., and march in the inaugural parade for President-elect Barack Obama. It also donated 1,800 meals for band members to eat during their rehearsals.
Following record flooding in the Atlanta metropolitan area in September 2009, RaceTrac donated $10,000 worth of gas cards, bottled water, and ice to the relief effort. 500 cases of bottled water were distributed through the Center for Family Resources to flood victims in addition to more than $6,000 in RaceTrac gasoline
In December 2009, RaceTrac donated 42 of its gently used computers to the Marietta Housing Authority (MHA) to be used by students attending Marietta High School living under Section 8 housing. The computers will also be used by students participating in the MHA’s mentoring program in conjunction with the Marietta Schools Foundation
In December 2009, RaceTrac launched its "Coffee for a Cause" campaign to raise money for Camp Sunshine, an Atlanta-based organization committed to enriching the lives of children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs. The company donated all proceeds from its coffee sales in the Georgia region during the three-day fund-raiser. Signage featuring Santa Claus holding a RaceTrac cup of coffee and Camp Sunshine's mission statement was prominently placed throughout Georgia stores to remind RaceTrac patrons of the opportunity to make a contribution. RaceTrac’s benevolence encouraged other local organizations to participate, as well. Radio spots encouraging customer participation aired free of charge on 790 The Zone each day of the promotion.
RaceTrac supplier Colonial Coffee Roasters, Inc. donated enough coffee to make 10,000 cups of its finest brew to the cause. This made it possible for 100 percent of the proceeds to go toward Camp Sunshine’s mission. The three-day drive raised over $28,500 for Camp Sunshine.
In February 2010, RaceTrac chose another charity to benefit from its "Coffee for a Cause" campaign. From February 8 to 10 RaceTrac donated all profits from coffee sales at all locations to Haiti earthquake relief efforts. All funds raised were donated to The American Red Cross
The families of more than 45 RaceTrac employees were directly affected by the Haiti earthquakes, bringing the tragedy home to RaceTrac’s Cobb County headquarters. That connection, coupled with the heart-wrenching reports and images of the destruction left behind by the 6.1 magnitude quake, convinced RaceTrac's leadership to take action. Coffee is the company’s most purchased item, so it was decided to leverage the beverage's popularity with consumers. The company raised more than $100,000 for the American Red Cross.
In April 2011, RaceTrac teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's and raised more than $130,000. Through RaceTrac’s Coffee for a Cause promotion, proceeds from all coffee and specially marked World’s Finest Chocolate bars sold between April 25th¬–29th at each of RaceTrac’s more than 300 stores was donated to the Fox Foundation. In addition, Guests also had a chance to donate at the counter and online. RaceTrac’s support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation went beyond Coffee for a Cause. Along with signage promoting the weeklong campaign, Fox Foundation brochures and fact sheets about Parkinson’s were prominently placed in stores. Select Markets also hosted Founder’s Day 5K runs to draw attention to the cause. For each employee that participated in the race, RaceTrac donated $10 to the Foundation.
Awards and acknowledgements
The company was ranked No. 63 on Forbes magazine’s list of the largest private companies in 2009, and in 2009 and 2010 it was named by the Dallas Business Journal as one of the top "Best Places to Work" in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.In October 2009, Carl Bolch Jr, chairman and CEO of RaceTrac, was named by Convenience Store News as their 2009 Retailer of the Year for pioneering forecourt retailing in the Southeast and making an indelible mark on the convenience industry overall.
In 2010, RaceTrac was recgonized by the Dallas Morning news as one of the best places to work in the Dallas area.
In 2011, RaceTrac was named a Top Workplace in Atlanta by The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Predatory Pricing
Race Trac has waged legal fights to allow it to sell gasoline below cost. Critics argue that the practice is done temporarily to drive smaller competitors out of business.In one Daytona Beach case, Race Trac defended the practice on the grounds that the number of competitors they drove out of business with the practice was not large enough to meet the criteria of the law.