Love's Travel Stops officially celebrated 60 years of operations on January 8, 2024. Love’s opened its first store in 1964, in Watonga, Oklahoma, the company announced in a press release.
"That year, Tom and Judy Love were looking for a way to support their growing family. So, they leased a filling station in Watonga and with Tom’s boots-on-the ground, community and people-focused mentality he kept his entire career, that one store led to a nationally recognized brand,” said the company.
The press release included a statement from the Love family: “While a lot has changed in six decades, the heart of Love’s has not, and it’s now alive in four generations of our family. We are so grateful for our incredible team members—past and present—whose contributions play a role in shaping our company. Growth and innovation of our product offerings, living our core values and culture daily and dedication to clean places, friendly faces are what this company was started on in 1964. Today, we proudly stand on that foundation and know our best is still ahead of us.”
Today, Love’s is the only major travel stop that is still family-owned and -operated. It has 637 locations in 42 states and nearly 40,000 employees in North America and Europe.. Love’s growing family of companies includes Musket Corp., Trillium Energy Solutions, Gemini and Speedco.
“Tom Love said it best, ‘Yesterday’s trophies don’t win tomorrow’s games,’ and even after six decades we still live by that motto, constantly innovating and improving,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “The secret formula behind the company’s success is our employees and how they model the core values Love’s was built on and sustain a legacy of driving for excellence.”
Love’s 60th anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year.
Love’s earned the No. 1 spot for employee well-being, according to jobs and hiring platform Indeed. The job search site released its first Better Work Awards in 2023, honoring the top 20 companies in the country for “prioritizing work well-being and building towards a future of better work.”