jump to navigation search this article includes a list of references but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . march 2009 learn how and when to remove this template message love s travel stops & country stores type private industry energy retail convenience stores hospitality storage founded 1964 founder tom love headquarters the village oklahoma united states number of locations 390 2016 key people tom love executive chairman greg love co ceo frank love co ceo doug stussi cfo services diesel fuel and gasoline truck tire repair and maintenance restaurants convenience stores driver amenities hospitality storage number of employees 15 000 2016 website www.loves.com a love s travel stop on i 40 in choctaw oklahoma love s travel stops & country stores commonly referred to as love s is a family owned chain of more than 390 truck stop and convenience stores located in 40 states . the company is privately owned and headquartered in the village oklahoma a suburb of oklahoma city . love s is currently ranked no. 14 on the forbes list of america s largest private companies . love s has two primary kinds of stores country stores and travel stops . country stores are fueling stations with a convenience store attached . the larger travel stops are located along highways and offer additional amenities such as food from restaurant chains like subway arby s baskin robbins bojangles burger king chester s dairy queen del taco denny s dunkin donuts godfather s pizza green burrito hardee s ihop express mcdonald s sonic carl s jr. taco bell taco john s wendy s trucking supplies showers and rv dump stations . love s has been at the forefront of the convenience store and travel center industry for half a century as among the first to offer self serve gasoline and groceries at the same time . love s has approximately 15 000 employees . contents 1 history 2 key dates 3 philanthropy 3.1 children s miracle network hospitals 3.2 other 4 sponsorships 5 references 6 external links history edit in 1964 tom and judy love spent 5 000 to lease an abandoned service station in watonga oklahoma an hour northwest of oklahoma city . they named their company musket corporation . over the next eight years musket opened 40 additional gas stations . all of them operated under the kerr mcgee gasoline brand . when the fuel crunch of the early 1970s began and gasoline was in short supply in the united states tom love diversified for the sake of the company s success . he launched a new concept in watonga the mini stop country store . by adding a grocery line to their self service fuel sales musket became one of the nation s first citation needed to offer one stop shopping for travelers . the mini stop was successful and the company quickly opened more stores in western oklahoma . in 1972 musket set out to convert all of its locations from gas stations to convenience stores with self serve gasoline . by 1973 the company began using the family name to identify its locations . love s country stores was the new name . by 1978 love s country stores had 60 locations in small communities throughout oklahoma kansas colorado new mexico and texas . that year the company began offering the fresh daily deli sandwiches made fresh daily on location . food service became the company s third profit center in each location along with self serve gasoline and convenience store items . the fresh daily deli is branded today as love s subs . by the end of 1981 the company reached a milestone with 100 love s country stores locations in operation . the in store decor was changed from the previous dark country look to a brighter theme . the same year it opened the first love s travel stop on interstate 40 in amarillo texas . the travel stop opened a new target audience to love s business ; the addition of self serve diesel fuel brought professional drivers to love s. the travel stop was unique in that it served both the professional driver and the motoring public resulting in more growth for love s. in 1985 love s added gifts and novelties . then in 1993 taco bell became a partner opening a co branded location in oklahoma city . the success of this partnership quickly grew . in 1995 the company opened its first triple branded food service operation in el paso texas . the location offered subway taco bell express and pizza hut . in the late 1990s food service continued to grow . soon the company was partnering with an array of co branded restaurant concepts including subway arby s baskin robbins bojangles burger king chester s dairy queen del taco denny s dunkin donuts godfather s pizza green burrito hardee s ihop express mcdonald s sonic carl s jr. taco bell taco john s and wendy s. love s travel stop in 2000 sales & marketing executives international awarded love s the 2000 outlook award for innovation and outstanding contribution to the future of the convenience store industry . the first truck tire care location opened in 2008 and since then the business has grown into a nationwide network of centers offering tires equipment light mechanical work and roadside service . on june 30 2010 love s acquired 20 pilot travel centers locations and six flying j locations out of antitrust concerns in order for the federal trade commission to approve the pilot flying j merger . 1 today love s operates more than 390 stores in 40 states . the current growth rate is about 20 25 store openings each year . key dates edit 1964 tom and judy love launch the musket chain with a gas station in watonga oklahoma . 1972 the first country store opens in guymon oklahoma . 1978 love s country stores inc. is established . 1981 the first travel stop opens in amarillo texas . 1986 the company is renamed love s travel stops & country stores inc. 1990 love s adds major branded fast food franchises to travel stops . 1999 love s opens its 50th travel stop . 2000 gemini motor transport becomes the primary carrier for love s. 2013 love s opens its 300th store . 2015 love s opens its 300th travel stop . 2016 love s purchases trillium cng . philanthropy edit children s miracle network hospitals edit love s has been a supporter of children s miracle network hospitals for 17 years . each september love s customers help raise funds for children s miracle network hospitals through in store purchases of paper balloons valued at 1 5 or 20 . stores host fundraising events including bake sales cookouts golf tournaments and more . since beginning its affiliation with children s miracle network hospitals in 1999 love s and its customers have raised more than 15 million to help sick children in the communities where it operates stores . love s children s miracle network tanker other edit boys & girls club of oklahoma county national cowboy & western heritage museum oklahoma city public schools regional food bank of oklahoma united way of central oklahoma teach for america creative oklahoma homeless alliance operation homefront playsmart sponsorships edit oklahoma city thunder oklahoma city energy oklahoma city dodgers civic center deadcenter film festival oklahoma city zoo front row motorsports sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history science museum oklahoma oklahoma state fair truckers against trafficking references edit username 2010 06 30 . pilot flying j finalize merger . csnews . retrieved 2014 03 31 . external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to love s travel stops & country stores . official website v t e major corporations within the oklahoma city metropolitan area nyse listed chesapeake energy continental resources devon energy og e energy paycom sandridge energy tronox nasdaq listed bancfirst sonic drive in major private companies ackerman mcqueen american fidelity assurance braum s digital designs globe life and accident insurance company griffin communications hobby lobby love s travel stops midfirst bank the oklahoman taco mayo tyler media group law firms crowe & dunlevy v t e convenience stores v t e major convenience stores in africa kenya national oil morocco mini brahim south africa sasol spar zimbabwe spar express v t e major convenience stores in asia east 759 store 7 eleven circle k circle k sunkus cu daily yamazaki familymart gs25 hi life lawson ministop ok mart parknshop express poplar spar storyway vango with me southeast 108 shop 7 eleven all day alfamart b s mart choices co.op food cheers circle k fairprice xpress fresh mart jiffy lawson lawson 108 familymart indomaret mini big c ministop mesra shop & go star mart tesco lotus express tops daily vango south spar west circle k spar former ampm buy the way bp connect daily stop on the run v t e major convenience stores in europe northern 7 eleven bargain booze best one bp connect budgens centra the co operative food costcutter david sands deli de luca happy shopper jones convenience stores kwik save little waitrose londis ireland londis united kingdom mace narvesen nisa on the run one stop pressbyr n r kioski mccoll s sainsbury s local scotmid spar tesco express southern couche tard mac s on the run opencor provi soir spar eastern billa cba groszek ma pka express spar abka western albert heijn carrefour city delhaize franprix march plus monoprix on the run petit casino spar former jacksons stores local plus mills morrisons m local somerfield ugo v t e major convenience stores in north america canada 7 eleven circle k cst brands couche tard irving mac s convenience stores needs convenience on the run pioneer provi soir quickie convenience stores honduras circle k mexico 7 eleven circle k oxxo super city tiendas extra united states 7 eleven a plus abc stores albertsons allsup s ampm casey s general stores cenex chevron circle k convenient food mart cst brands cumberland farms dairy barn dari mart exxon famima gate petroleum getgo getty go mart high s dairy store holiday jr. food mart jr. food stores kum & go kwik fill red apple country fair kwik trip kwik star kroger convenience stores kwik shop loaf n jug quik stop smith s express tom thumb turkey hill lawson love s travel stops & country stores mapco express minit mart mobil mart on the go on the run the pantry pdq food stores pilot flying j pilot food mart plaid pantry quality dairy company quick chek quiktrip racetrac raceway road ranger roady s truck stops royal farms rutter s sheetz speedway stewart s shops stripes convenience stores stuckey s superamerica tedeschi food shops thorntons inc. tom s convenience store town pump travelcenters of america united dairy farmers wawa food markets weigel s former becker s bp connect town & country food stores uni mart utotem white hen pantry wilco v t e major convenience stores in oceania australia 7 eleven bp connect newslink nightowl convenience stores spar express new zealand bp connect night n day woolworths gull list of convenience stores v t e trucking industry in the united states regulated by the federal motor carrier safety administration economy of the united states regulations commercial driver s license hours of service federal bridge gross weight formula electronic on board recorder motor carrier safety rating motor carrier act of 1980 international registration plan national network manufacturers truck manufacturers am general american lafrance autocar bering bremach brockway chevrolet ccc caterpillar cnh industrial diamond reo dina f650 pickups freightliner ford gmc hayes hino isuzu marmon herrington mercedes benz international kenworth mack mitsubishi fuso nissan oshkosh peterbilt ram trucks sterling smith spartan tiger truck toyota ud trucks via volvo ward lafrance western star white engine manufacturers caterpillar cummins