April 18, 2013

FIRST BUC-EE’S NORTH OF AUSTIN TO LOCATE IN TEMPLE, TEXAS

Popular Texas-based travel center’s newest location and store number 30 is expected to spur development in north Temple.

TEMPLE, Texas—The Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) and the City of Temple today announced that Buc-ee’s will build the company’s thirtieth travel center in Texas on a 17.5-acre tract on NW Loop 363 in north Temple.The 60,000-plus square foot travel center will be the first Buc-ee’s located north of Austin.

Buc-ee’s will make an approximately $16 million capital investment in the project. Beaver Aplin, Buc-ee’s founder and CEO, said the company will hire approximately 150 full-time employees at a starting salary of $11.50 per hour. This higher-than-average salary for an hourly employee helps Buc-ee’s attract and retain top talent.

Aplin said he is eager to begin construction as soon as possible. It typically takes about one year to complete such projects.

“Temple will soon be home to one of Texas’ finest homegrown businesses and a popular road trip hot spot,” Temple EDC President Lee Peterson said. “Buc-ee’s is a reputable business, a premier travel center, and an employer constructing a highly visible building right off the highway. We look forward to all the travelers that will soon stop in Temple to experience Buc-ee’s.”

The Temple EDC and the City of Temple both approved incentive agreements for Buc-ee’s on April 18.

“Temple is an ideal location for Buc-ee’s because it is on the north-south IH-35 corridor at a mid-point between Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth,” Aplin said. “Temple is clearly a pro-business community. The City of Temple and the economic development corporation worked closely with us to meet our needs as a business.”

Peterson and Temple City Manager David Blackburn collaborated with Aplin for many months.

“This kind of job creation and capital expenditure is an investment in our community and strengthens our ability to provide the great quality of life that we do in Temple,” Blackburn said. “Buc-ee’s is the kind of place that travelers plan their road trips around—people love to stop there. It will attract travelers to Temple who will spend money in our community and grow our tax base.”

Texas travelers are familiar with Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based company that has created a loyal Buc-ee’s Beaver customer base.

“This is a very exciting project for our community that provides an opportunity for growth in the northern part of Temple along IH-35,” Temple Mayor Bill Jones, III, said. “Buc-ee’s will be a significant retail destination for travelers passing through Temple and for area residents. We are thrilled about Buc-ee’s joining Team Temple.”

About Temple

Temple, Texas, is a community with a diverse economic base that includes healthcare, distribution and warehousing, and manufacturing as its foundation. Within 200 miles of a population of 19 million, Temple is in a strategic location that is central within the Southwest U.S. marketplace. Visit choosetemple.com.