Stan Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz Inc., helped pump people up about Small Business Week.

The keynote speaker during the annual small-business luncheon on Tuesday, Sheetz joked with the crowd he'd leave some time at the end for questions "for someone to ruin my day and ask about gas prices."

Sheetz opened a new store here last February. The red store is hard to miss at 4,000 square feet on about 2 acres at the corner of Forest Hills Road and Downing Street, across from Bill's Barbecue.

Gas prices, Sheetz explained, are set according to state law, sales goals and the market.

North Carolina has a law that prohibits gas be priced below its cost -- gas must be priced within a 4 percent margin. There is no law on the top end, which is usually determined by the market.

Sheetz stores don't price gas 10 cents below its competition, he said, because then cars would line up at the pumps.

"Believe it or not, I don't want lines at my gas pumps. I really don't because it makes everything just a little more confusing for the customer," Sheetz said.

If the parking lot is congested, customers won't come inside the store, and that's where Sheetz makes its money, he told the business leaders.

Sheetz sets gallon goals at each of the 349 store locations, he said.

"We can tell how many gallons we want to sell every week in every location, and we try to price to that volume."

If the stations sell more gallons than what's been determined to be their maximum capacity per day, the parking lot will get congested, Sheetz said.

Sheetz, a family-owned business, was founded in 1952 in Altoona, Pa., by Sheetz's father, Bob Sheetz. Today Sheetz is a growing convenience store firm that's on the Forbes list of largest privately-owned companies. Sheetz employs more than 12,000 people.

In hindsight, Sheetz said the worst mistake they made was not getting a patent on the stores' touch-screen food ordering kiosks.

Sheetz has found success with its food sales and other inside store offerings.

Self-serve coffee debuted in 1975 at Sheetz and was as simple as turning around a Mr. Coffee machine, he said. Today coffee is no small beans. Sheetz promotes its specialty "coffeez" and sells 60 to 70 million cups of coffee each year.

Sheetz's father retired in 1984 after opening 100 stores with his brother, Steve, and family members did a leveraged buyout in 1987 to acquire ownership of the company.

Grady Robbins, a county commissioner, was among the 130 guests at Tuesday's event. Afterward, Robbins said small businesses are important to the economy, and it's great to see people get together to promote them during Small Business Week.

"It's a remarkable story -- a good family-owned and run business that appears to put the customer and the workers first," Robbins said.

The Wilson Chamber of Commerce event was held at Barton College Hardy Alumni Hall. Sponsoring the event was BB&T, Cornerstone Bank and The Heritage Bank.

keeter@wilsontimes.com | 265-7817

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Other Small Business Events this week

Thursday: Two economic presentations and breakfast will be held 8-9:30 a.m. at the Wilson Chamber of Commerce. John Bethune, an economist and dean of the School of Business at Barton College, will give his "Wilson County Economic Forecast." Al Delia, president and CEO of North Carolina's Eastern Region Development Commission, will present the "State of the Eastern Region."

Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, small-business people have a chance to network during a Small Business Week Celebration. The event will have food, beverages and entertainment by the band Sammy O'Banion and Mardi Gras.

All events are free to attendees. Please register by telephoning 237-0165 or by e-mail at Lsoprun@wilsonncchamber.com.