Chain buys convenience store on Main Street

A Clay Center convenience store chain and oil transport company has bought the Valero Stop-N-Save store at 1621 S. Main St.

Leiszler Oil Company, a third generation marketer for Conoco-Phillips petroleum, operates more than a dozen Short Stop stores in Kansas.

The convenience store will be renamed Short Stop No. 23. The Valero gas brand has been replaced with Phillips 66.

Leiszler Oil was founded in 1932 by Glen Leiszler. It is his granddaughters — Samantha Liby, and her sister, Alison Leiszler — who continue the family legacy and abide by their grandfather’s original philosophy.

The company’s Web site quotes Glen Leiszler offering some pretty basic business advice.

“Treat your customers with respect,” he’s quoted. “Be truthful with them. Treat everybody alike. Get the right people helping you; after you’ve done that, be willing to put 101 percent effort into your business.”

“He did a great job,” Liby said. “Dad did a great job, too. Of course, we intend to follow their example.”

“This is a great store,” Leiszler said. “One of the things that attracted us here was the staff. Our intention is to keep the current crew.”

Customers can expect to see some changes in merchandising to make it a Short Stop store. But most of the changes will be behind the scenes things like new cash registers and business systems.

Sign changes are expected to take up to two months. However, Leisler said with the gasoline brand change complete, customers may start using their Phillips 66 charge cards immediately.

The sisters said they knew they eventually would come back into the family business. They just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

“I’m a CPA, and I intended to do that for a number of years before coming back,” Leiszler said.

“But when Dad got sick, we both decided to come back and help out,” Liby added.

Leisler joined the team in 2003 with Liby following in 2004 after her college graduation.

Jessie Jordan, an area supervisor for Leiszler Oil, will be in the Ottawa store on a regular basis. Liby and Leiszler plan to be in Ottawa at least once a month.

“We want the store to feel like your home away from home,” Leiszler said. “Even if we’re not here, our phone number is on the door. If you want to tell us something, feel free to call. Just because we’re not here doesn’t mean we don’t care.”

Leiszler Oil Company purchased the store from Ottawa businessman Chuck Waymire.