Building a Team: Fighting Turnover and Creating Loyal Employees

One of the greatest challenges of the convenience store industry is staffing. Turnover can be high and hiring can be difficult. The most successful convenience stores are cracking the code on retention and Maplefields is one of those brands.

“There is constant turnover in this business and we’re no different than anybody else. But we also have the ability to retain people,” says Maplefields’ IT Director, Skip Potter.

Deep Roots

When you start talking to the leaders of the company, it’s easy to see why. Many of them started off as cashiers and store managers just like the associates they oversee today.

General Manager, Otto Hansen has worked in the industry since he was 16 years old. He started behind the register and worked his way up to his current role. Now he’s in charge of all 40+ Maplefields stores across Northern New England.

“Particularly for folks who don’t have the resources to do a full college education, this is a good way to have a professional career,” Otto says.

Skip came to Maplefields 23 years ago. He had owned a restaurant prior to joining the team and started as a store manager. It didn’t take long for the company to realize Skip had more to offer.

More than a Job

“People look at Maplefields as a company that’s growing, it has great image, it has great brand,” says Skip. “[People think], ‘I can go somewhere at this company.’ We are an experience and people want to be a part of that experience.”

Maplefields isn’t the only c-store we’ve visited with a loyal employee following. Read more about how another c-store operator, Lisa Dell’Alba successfully manages her staff here.