Rocket Oil Co., which does business as Ideal Market, just opened its newest store in Hanson, Ky. Going forward in 2017, the family-owned company has even bigger plans.
By David Bennett, Senior Editor
There’s more to the state of Kentucky than fine bourbon, fast horses and the legend of Daniel Boone.
There are close-knit communities, which often embrace convenience retailers that work hard to build local relations and provide value-added services.
You can count the Kentucky communities Dawson Springs, Greenville, Hanson, Madisonville and Marion in that class. In those cities, one convenience retailer has been working hard to strengthen customer relationships and provide value-added services: Ideal Market.
Ideal Market is a close-knit entity itself. The Madisonville, Ky.-based, 20-store chain is moving ahead with plans to grow its footprint in this western region of the Bluegrass State.
The company opened its 20th Ideal Market location earlier this year in the city of Hanson, said Tom Eveland, vice president and general manager. The location features top tier Marathon fuels and a Subway restaurant with seating for 30.
A third-generation family business, Rocket Oil formed its roots in the mid-1970s when Vern Eveland purchased a fuel distribution company in 1972 from former Madisonville Mayor Curtis McCoy. In 1974, son Barry Eveland joined the company after college. It was during the next two decades that the company began constructing a strategy for offering Kentucky residents more—in the form of its Ideal Market retail brand.
In 2005, Barry’s son, Tom Eveland, joined the company.
BUILDING GOALS
At 5,300 square feet, Ideal Market’s new Hanson store—its second in the Kentucky town—features a modern beer cave as well as the c-store’s proprietary coffee and beverage offerings known as Kentucky Brews. The decision to go with Subway over its own proprietary food program was calculated.
“We are on the interstate,” Eveland said. “I felt like Subway will draw the customer off the interstate,” Eveland said. “Though many feel our food provides more value to the customer, they typically trust the national brand over our local brand.”
That local brand is the Heartland Deli, the company’s proprietary foodservice concept, which is earmarked for future sites.
In addition, two legacy stores will be razed and rebuilt—with work beginning this year. Each replacement location will be larger and more spacious, featuring a Heartland Deli and Kentucky Brews. The rebuilt sites will also house a new fuel service installation and expanded cooler and beverage areas.
“The buildings being replaced are nearly 30 years old, so you can imagine how customer preferences have changed in three decades,” Eveland said. “We have not completely neglected the old sites, but everything was not the latest and greatest either.”
In 2013, Rocket Oil introduced its Heartland Deli and Kentucky Brews concepts at a new location in Marion, Ky. Working with a consulting firm, the company drew up a 3,800-square-foot store in Marion, Ky.—the pilot site for the company’s bright new concepts.
Rocket Oil is also planning another new build—this time in a new community.
“We will be building in Russellville, Ky.,” Eveland said. “We purchased the property a couple of years ago, but have been working through the permitting process. There have been some challenges that we are nearly through. We are hoping to begin construction soon.”
HEARTLAND DELI
The company’s foodservice program, Heartland Deli, was originally contrived around the concept of freshness.
“The first concept we tried was called ‘Heartland Bakers.’ We had basically the same menu, but we baked our bread. We tweaked it a little and it’s now Heartland Deli.”
Rocket Oil had hired a consultant, who helped the convenience chain develop the logo and menus.
All of Ideal Market’s sandwiches are made to order, as are the c-store’s pizzas. The program also offers fresh hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and breakfast items, including the chain’s signature biscuits and gravy.
The Heartland concept was created at the same time as the Kentucky Brews program. Management toured a roaster near Louisville, tried different blends, but eventually settled on the coffee it now sells.
BEER BECKONS
Since the end of Prohibition, Kentucky has been known for strict alcohol regulations, with local ordinances legalizing alcohol being decided at the city or county level. However, the argument for less restrictive laws has become more prominent recently. Senate Bill 11—signed into law July 15, 2016—included the removal of several outdated regulations, allowing businesses in Kentucky more flexibility when it comes to selling beer, wine and liquor.
“Generally, Kentucky has been slow to adopt beer sales. In our nine county market, most of the larger towns are wet, but the counties and small communities are not.”
However, a measure passed last December allowing alcohol sales in the community of Hanson ensured that beer would be available in the newest Ideal Market.
“Yes, we rolled the dice and won,” said Eveland, who is also the chairman of the Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association. “I had a sense that it would pass, so we designed and built the building with a beer cave.”
ONE BIG FAMILY
The third-generation enterprise touts store locations that are clean, bright, convenient and well-staffed. Eveland said if the c-store offers outstanding customer service, the main reason is its workforce.
“I enjoy working with my father (Barry) every day, but I also consider all of our employees family.
As part of employee development, Rocket Oil has strived to reshape its company culture.
“In the last couple of years we have worked hard on our culture. We updated our Common Purpose and Core Values. These statements are not just fluff. We work hard to live by them.”
Posted on the wall of each store, the company’s listing of core values includes maintaining the Ideal Market brand.
Some are all encompassing and to the point so every team member is clear on what the objective is:
1. Everyone—our customers, our communities and each of us—has an ever-changing opinion of our company and its stores. The value of the Ideal brand is simply the sum total of those opinions.
2. Every experience each customer has with an Ideal Market or Rocket Oil Co. team member impacts his or her opinion of us, for better or for worse.
3. We will build the Ideal brand and make fans of our customers by making sure that each of those experiences is positive.
Eveland said the perception that customers have of Ideal Market usually starts with the store manager and the overall store experience.
“We recognize that our managers are the most important folks in our company,” Eveland said. “Our customers do not know the office staff—they know our managers. Our customers’ experience in our stores is what makes our brand. It’s our job to remove road blocks that negatively impact their ability to serve our customers.”
To improve the everyday customer experience, Rocket Oil partnered with the local community college to offer customer-service training. The company also rolled out an employee bonus program for every company associate—not just mangers—if they meet certain performance objectives.
Such initiatives have improved the chain’s overall operational performance. Still, being a key decision maker of a family business is a unique opportunity, said Eveland.
“Being a small company we are more nimble and able to analyze situations on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “Everything is more personal in small companies.”