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<\/a><\/p>\nNOVI \u2014 The long-awaited Sheetz store at the corner of 12 Mile and Haggerty roads officially opened as the first location in Oakland County April 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpening our first Oakland County location is a significant milestone in Sheetz\u2019s Michigan expansion and a clear reflection of our long-term commitment to this region,\u201d Nick Ruffner, public affairs manager for Sheetz, said in a press release. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to invest in Novi, creating jobs, supporting local nonprofits, and delivering a fresh, customer-first experience that we believe will quickly become part of the community\u2019s daily routine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruffner told the Novi Note that the turnout for the grand opening\u00a0 was \u201cfantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had so many people on the lot, but I think one of the coolest things about that is that pretty much mirrors all of the turnouts that we have seen at all of the openings that came before it,\u201d Ruffner said. \u201cIt seems that every community that we go to, customers come out with great support. I think that it fills a need in the community for something that is like an ultimate one-stop shop.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than 250 people attended the grand opening, which began at 9 a.m. Guests were treated to free beverages, prizes and entered into a raffle for Sheetz gift cards.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to see the turnout and support for such an amazing addition to our community,\u201d said Katie Chuba, president of the Novi Chamber of Commerce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company has been family owned and operated since it was founded in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1952. Today, there are more than 900\u00a0 Sheetz locations across the country, eight of which are in Michigan, with more expected to open in southeastern Michigan this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to a press release, each store employs around 30 people, which translates into approximately 240 jobs in Michigan and more than 27,000 people employed in Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employees are the most important asset we have here at Sheetz,\u201d said Justin Mandel, whose uncle, Bob Sheetz, founded the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although Google Maps has the store listed as a gas station, Ruffner said that the company is better described as a \u201cmodern-day general store.\u201d<\/p>\n
The store offers made-to-order food and beverages, alcohol, gasoline, and other convenience items 24\/7\/365.<\/p>\n
Ruffner acknowledged that many communities have been hesitant to allow Sheetz to open a location.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see some pushback whenever we\u2019re coming into the community and we\u2019re pushing our plans, but what that does is it gives us an opportunity to go into the community and to talk about who we are,\u201d Ruffner said.<\/p>\n
He said that one of the most important things they talk about is that the company has a long-standing tradition of engaging with each and every community and donating to local charities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also been named one of People\u2019s Companies that Care, and that is because, again, our employees are contributing to our communities. They\u2019re participating and engaging with what\u2019s important to the neighborhoods that we operate in,\u201d Mandel said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said that he heard from the Novi Chamber of Commerce that the Novi store team had already been active within the community before opening the doors.<\/p>\n
Sheetz has partnered with Special Olympics for decades. The company makes frequent donations to the organization and its local affiliates. This includes in-kind donations of food for Special Olympics events, volunteering at events such as the Polar Plunge, and monetary donations.\u00a0 Every time a new store opens, the company donates $2,500 to Special Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited about this store opening and our continued partnership with Sheetz,\u201d said Rick Brady, of Special Olympics Michigan. \u201cYou guys have been wonderful partners of ours for years and years now. So, your support spans well beyond the playing field into each and every community across the state, and we\u2019re really happy to bring that partnership here into Oakland County.\u201d<\/p>\n
USA Games Special Olympian Cassidy, of the Plymouth-Canton chapter, expressed her gratitude to Sheetz for their support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout donations we wouldn\u2019t even be able to do half the stuff we do. So, thank you for a lot of those donations, because we wouldn\u2019t be able to keep doing what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Cassidy said.<\/p>\n
Brady said the donations from Sheetz will help the organization to bring a delegation of 100 athletes to Minnesota for the USA Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cSheetz is a huge reason why we are able to send that large of a group,\u201d Brady said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brady then accepted a check for $2,500 on behalf of Special Olympics Michigan.<\/p>\n
The store has donation cups for the organization by the cash registers for 10 months every year. During the other two months, donations go to Sheetz for Kids, an employee-run organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sheetz for Kids was started in 1992 by a couple of general managers and now operates at each store. Employees raise money to sponsor gifts for approximately 16 local kids for the holidays. Last year, Sheetz employees raised $1 million to purchase gifts for kids at the holidays, according to Becca Bunnell, community engagement specialist.<\/p>\n
The company also has a Made to Share program with Feeding America. Through the program, Sheetz partners with a local food bank in each community and donates products to them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEach month we donate about 200 pounds of food, which equates to about 240 meals, which diverts that food out of landfills and gets it into the mouths of hungry folks in your community,\u201d Bunnell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost 200,000 meals are donated every single month across seven states to food banks in your community,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Novi location has partnered with Forgotten Harvest. The organization serves people in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. According to Director of Corporate Relations, Maureen Smith, Forgotten Harvest is excited for the partnership with Sheetz.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so excited about the first Oakland County location opening up,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Smith said that they will have a \u201cHarvest Hero\u201d picking up donations from Sheetz every Thursday.<\/p>\n
Smith was also presented with a $2,500 donation from Sheetz to benefit Forgotten Harvest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an absolutely beautiful building, facility and site, and on behalf of Mayor (Justin) Fischer, our entire City Council, the city staff, and everybody here in Oakland County, thank you for making the investment and having faith in us. We are really excited to work with you and have you in our community,\u201d said Charles Boulard, community development director for the city of Novi.<\/p>\n
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