Scott Kveton: Free beef and clean bathrooms: the irrelevance of Web 2.0

Free beef and clean bathrooms: the irrelevance of

Web 2.0

Let’s disrupt an industry.

I hate paying a lot for gas and getting

crappy service.

We’re Oregonians

“OMG?! Is something wrong with my car?!”

•Pride in service

•“If we can’t guarantee it, we won’t sell it.”

•Run-out-to-your-car service

•Build a relationship & you have customer for life

•410 stores, $1.6 billion sales

•Privately owned/operated

•6000+ employees

•55% of profits go to employees

•Amazing pension/healthcare for employees

•Every store (and the property) is company owned

Can we do this well with a gas station?

•477 stores, $6.2 billion in sales

•Privately owned/operated

•8,000 employees - (130,000 applicants 2006)

•Above average pay/benefits

•Ranked top 20 companies to work for - Fortune 2006

What made them successful?

•Pride in service

•Take care of your people

•Serious profit sharing

•Quality and guarantee what you do

•Privately held

•Build a business for the customers & employees, not the shareholders

What if we combined these keys with our own

Oregon flare*?* - not Office Space flare

Bridgetown Service Station*Putting the service back into service station.

* for the love of Pete, somebody help me with a name

What we offer•Unleaded gas at good (not great) prices

•Friendly, run-to-your car service

•Coffee, beverage service, stamps, mail drop

•Bio-diesel with locally made fuel

•Club card, ownership and bulk discounts

•Partner with local businesses for discounts on services & extras - take your receipt in for x, y & z

Why this is hard•Dealing with State/Federal guidelines is hard

•Startup $$$ - co-op style?

•Bio-diesel volumes/cars low

•‘The Man’ would hate this

How we succeed

•McMenamin’s charm

•Good coffee

•Wide-selection

•Give back to the community/customers

•Take care of our employees (pay/benefits/pension)

•Start in PDX (3 stores), Corvallis & Eugene

My question to you: Would you go there?

(find me tonight & tell me*)

* Did I mention that MyStrands is hiring?!