About
Rhodes Oil Companies was founded in 1963 by F.E.
"Gene" Rhodes as an oil jobbership with Gulf Oil
Corporation. Mr. Rhodes’ affiliation with Gulf Oil
Corporation began eight years earlier when he
entered the industry as a commissioned delivery
salesman. With the foresight of an emerging market
in southeast Missouri and the stubborn ambition of
a hardworking farm boy, Gene Rhodes embarked on
his career as an oil jobber. As a Gulf jobber,
Rhodes Oil Companies provided fuel to independent
retail service stations and farmers throughout the
area. The fledging company took a great stride
forward by exclusively providing the fuel and
motor oil for R.B. Potashnick Construction
Company, the contractor responsible for building
the vast majority of the new Interstate 55 highway
in southeast Missouri in the late 1960’s. The
performance on this job served as the foundation
for the reputation of outstanding customer service
that remains an integral part of RHODES 101 STOPS
today.
In the early 1970’s, Gulf Oil Corporation pulled
out of southeast Missouri, and Gene Rhodes saw an
opportunity to expand his oil company into the
gasoline retail market. He acquired several Gulf
service station locations in the area, and
immediately became a presence in the industry. The
new chain of Rhodes Pump-Ur-Own self service gas
stations proudly displayed its modified Gulf logo
in appreciation of its humble beginnings as a
distributor for Gulf Oil Corporation. With the
rapid growth and development of his new chain of
gas stations, Mr. Rhodes began laying the
foundation for the continued growth in years to
come. As the size of the business grew and became
more complex, he delegated the daily
responsibilities of running the business to two
other individuals. Always an advocate of promoting
from within his companies, Gene Rhodes rewarded
those employees who seized the opportunities he
provided for them.
In 1979, Jim Maurer moved into the position of
office manager for the home office. Mr. Maurer
originally came to Rhodes Oil Company as a service
technician in the LP Gas division. As the division
was being phased out, Mr. Maurer identified the
need for increased management over finances and
accounting within the company and positioned
himself to fill this need. Under his guidance as
General Manager, Rhodes Oil Companies began to
develop the internal corporate structure that is
the backbone of the RHODES 101 STOPS today. In
addition to rearranging the debt structure and
financing commitments, Mr. Maurer established and
refined the companies’ accounting departments, and
directed the implementation of the companies’
first computer in 1983 to improve handling of the
general ledger and the payroll.
Jim Maurer’s efforts to structure the internal
accounting methods of The Rhodes Companies were
primarily driven through the early 1980’s by Paul
Dirnberger’s bold and innovative marketing ideas
in the small chain of gas stations and kiosks. Mr.
Dirnberger came to work with Rhodes Oil Company in
1974 as a part-time cashier in one of the Pump-Ur-
Own stations. In time, his initiative and
creativity moved him into a supervisory position
over the first four stations. From this position,
Mr. Dirnberger tested his ideas and began
developing the new retail concept he would unfold
in the coming years.
The Rhodes Companies took over operation of their
first inside store location in Cape Girardeau,
Missouri in 1979. After watching the success of
this first store, the expanding companies took
over two additional bait and tackle stores
associated with their existing Pump-Ur-Own
stations. This growth continued very aggressively
through the mid 1980’s, expanding to 11 Pump-Ur-
Own locations providing primarily gasoline, oil,
beer, cigarettes, bait, and tackle.
After this rapid growth process, The Rhodes
Companies spent several years studying market
opportunities and defining the corporate
objectives. Then in 1989, the oil company acquired
its first convenience store providing a full
inventory of deli items, snack foods, and
beverages in addition to the fuel and oil. Paul
Dirnberger’s vision began to take shape as the
Rhodes 101 Stop convenience store concept was
born. The modified Gulf log was upgraded to the
new corporate logo to signify the change from a
traditional service station to a convenience store
"with one hundred and one reasons to stop." Five
of the Pump-Ur-Own locations were completely
rebuilt and two new locations were acquired to
accommodate this RHODES 101 STOPS concept. The
Rhodes Travel Center was completely rebuilt in
1990. All total, 14 convenience stores and the
Travel Center express the Rhodes 101 Stops
concept.
This resourceful corporate direction has led
southeast Missouri in the convenience store
industry throughout the 1990’s. RHODES 101 STOPS
was the first convenience store chain in southeast
Missouri to join with Orion Food Systems and
Chester Fried to provide an attractive line of
branded foodservices in many of their locations.
Orion Food Systems consistently ranks Rhodes 101
Stops as their #1 chain in the five state mid
western region for which they are affiliated.
RHODES 101 STOPS were also one of the first chains
in the area to pioneer drive-up windows at their
locations. The drive-up window has since become an
essential feature of all renovated locations as it
is so successful in servicing customers more
quickly and conveniently. RHODES 101 STOPS was
also the first chain in the region to provide
customers with a proprietary charge card for both
personal and business accounts. RHODES 101 STOPS
have moved beyond the boundaries of southeast
Missouri in redefining the concept of fountain
sodas. Coca Cola USA named Rhodes 101 Stops the #1
chain in the United States for volume soda sales
on an incident rate.
This degree of success suggests a strong
connection between innovative new ideas by RHODES
101 STOPS and overwhelming support from their
customers. This customer patronage is due in part
to quality merchandise and convenient locations.
However, the real strength in the RHODES 101 STOPS
concept is the fundamental emphasis on quality
customer service. The people who run and manage
the RHODES 101 STOPS convenience stores are a key
part of this corporate puzzle of success.
RHODES 101 STOPS has grown a long way since 1956
when Gene Rhodes hired his first employee, Bob
Amelunke, as a delivery man for his new Gulf Oil
distributorship. However, through all the growth
and change, Mr. Rhodes, Jim Maurer, Paul
Dirnberger, and all the other Rhodes’ employees
have maintained the focus to provide their
customers with quality service, through quality
products, in quality places, by quality people.