SAN DIEGO, CA — Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s, kicked off the 2022 BEMA Convention as the keynote speaker Thursday, June 23 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, CA.
Sponsored by Kwik Lok Corporation, the presentation focused on Stuckey’s insights into the journey of her family’s “87-year-old start-up” and the impact manufacturing had on its revival following her takeover in 2019. Her path was lit by her grandfather’s original business files handed down to her by her mother.
Stuckey’s was started by the former Democratic legislator’s grandfather in 1937, and through a series of events, eventually landed in the hands of the self-proclaimed “accidental CEO.” Stuckey’s experience as a “3G-er” — third-generation owner — shaped the path the company is now on and the future she’s carved out for it through the power of branding and manufacturing.
A pioneer in the roadside retail industry, Stuckey’s was one of the first to capitalize on the American road trip, with a chain of roadside stops filled with region-specific items in addition to Texaco gas and the company’s signature pecan rolls.
“Before there was a Pilot, before Flying J, before Love’s, before Buc-ee’s, there was Stuckey’s,” she said.