🠈 Pilot Flying J 🠊
Pilot Flying J is a family of travel centers created by the 2009 merger of Pilot Corporation and Flying J Inc.. The centers cater to truckers offering petroleum, convenience stores and fast food restaurants. The combined headquarters are in Knoxville, Tn.
Pilot Corporation was founded in 1958 by James Haslam Jr. as a chain of gas stations in Gate City, Virginia. Pilot added convenience stores to its stations in 1976 and began developing travel centers in 1981 and soon established a nationwide network of travel centers.
Flying J was founded by O. Jay Call who was born in Star Valley, Wyoming and raised in Soda Springs, Idaho where he helped run his father's gas station. Jay incorporated Flying J in 1968 which then consisted of 4 discount stations. The name alludes to Jay's interest in aviation.
The company expanded in California with the development of 52 "Spartan Stations" and then made its big splash in the market with the development of Flying J Travel Centers which cater to the trucking industry.
Jay Call continued his enthusiasm for aviation and often flew his helicopter and planes on charitable missions. O Jay Call, his wife Irene and Richard "Buzz" Germer died in plane crash on their way to Sun Valley in 2003. At the time of the crash Flying J 167 station in 41 states.
Headquartered in Ogden, Flying J had grown to 220 locations, despite having $18.0 billion in sales, declining demand for petroleum threw the company with 15,000 employees into bankruptcy and merger talks with Pilot in 2009.
References:
- Wikipedia - Pilot Corporation (Drawn 2/23/2017)
- Wikipedia - Flying J (Drawn 2/23/2017)
- Wikipedia - Pilot Flying J (Drawn 2/23/2017)
- Flying J Founder Dies - Lynn Arave (Drawn 2/23/2017)