Wawa, Inc.
 |
|
Wawa station in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | April 16, 1964 Folsom, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Founder | Grahame Wood |
| Headquarters | Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|
Number of locations
|
720+ stores |
|
Key people
|
Chris Gheysens (CEO) |
| Products |
|
| Revenue |
 US$9.68 billion (2014) |
|
US$118 million (2011) |
|
| Total assets |
US$1.57 billion (2011) |
|
Number of employees
|
22,500 (2015) |
| Parent | Wild Goose Holding Co. |
| Website | www |
Wawa Inc. is a chain of convenience store/gas stations located along the East Coast of the United States. It operates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. The company's corporate headquarters is located in the Wawa area of Chester Heights, Pennsylvania in Greater Philadelphia. As of 2008[update], Wawa was the largest convenience store chain in Greater Philadelphia, and it is also the third largest retailer of food in Greater Philadelphia, after ACME Markets and ShopRite.
The Wawa business began in 1803 as an iron foundry. In 1890, George Wood, a businessperson from New Jersey, moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania; it was here that he began the Wawa Dairy Farm. Wood imported cows from the British island of Guernsey, and bought 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land in the Chester Heights area; the corporate headquarters would later be renamed Wawa. Since pasteurization was not yet available, many children faced sickness from consuming raw milk. Wood arranged for doctors to certify his milk was sanitary and safe for consumption, which convinced many consumers to buy the product. The strategy worked, and allowed the Wawa dairy to grow. Demand for dairy products grew rapidly during the 1920s, and so did the company. Wawa began using the slogan, "Buy Health by the Bottle," and served customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, delivering milk to customers' homes.
...
Wikipedia