Weigel's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Weigel's is a gas station and convenience store chain located in the Knoxville, Tennessee area.
[edit] History
The Weigel family entered the dairy business in 1931 with a "herd" of four cows, selling raw milk for nine cents a gallon. In 1936, a used pasteurizer was purchased and the dairy became one of the first in East Tennessee to distribute pasteurized milk. A total of 12 people were employed by the farm and dairy at the time.
In 1938, management of the operation passed completely to Lynn B. and William W. Weigel, both men having graduated from the University of Tennessee's School of Dairy Science. Lynn was in charge of the office and dairy operations and William was in charge of farm operations and marketing. In 1947, the new plant was modernized, and ice cream and cottage cheese production were added.
Primarily to provide an outlet for their returnable gallon milk jugs and other dairy products, the Weigel brothers pioneered drive-through stores in East Tennessee. 500-square-foot Store Number 1, on Sanderson Road in Knoxville, opened on December 9, 1958. Walk-in stores didn't appear until June, 1964, when Store Number 12 opened on Oak Ridge Highway.
[edit] Today
Today Weigels Farm Stores, Inc. operates nearly 50 dairy and convenience stores, all within a 50 mile radius of corporate headquarters in Powell, Tennessee.
[edit] External links
- Weigels.com (official site)
