MAPCO at Carmack Blvd. celebrates grand opening, first location in Columbia
After eight months of construction and planning, the new MAPCO at 2301 Carmack Blvd. officially opened this month, capping off the new business with a ribbon-cutting celebration Tuesday.
"This is not just a grand opening of a store we are doing today but is a grand beginning of a relationship between the MAPCO family and the community of Columbia," MAPCO CEO Frederic Chaveyria said.
"This is all about people, and we are celebrating our MAPCO family and the Columbia family, and all that we have done since we decided to come here. It's the people who worked to find the site, the people who worked to design the store, and always keeping in mind the community of Columbia. We hope to see you soon."
Tuesday's ceremony also included a $5,000 check presentation by MAPCO executives and board members, which was donated to Central High School.
"On behalf of Columbia Central High School, I'd like to thank MAPCO for coming to Columbia, and we look forward to a long and great relationship," CHS principal Kevin Eady said. "Thank you very much."
The grand opening also included multiple vendors offering food, drinks and other products sold in MAPCO stores, as well as photo ops with Nashville Soccer Club's Tempo the Coyote and Gnash from the Nashville Predators.
The new 24-hour gas station/convenience mart is the company's first in Columbia, and is geared toward bringing a more modern approach, where guests can "refresh and recharge," literally, officials said.
Using MAPCO's newest "Store of the Future" design, the store features an open floor interior design with large windows and tall ceilings to allow more natural light, as well as expanded bathrooms and seating with wireless charge stations for digital devices.
"We're hoping that when customers come in, they see that we want to really be a bigger part of the community and not just another gas station," store manager Richard Showers said. "There's a dedication to customer service, where each time you come in, it's always going to be really clean, really well lit and with lots of staff."
The store employs approximately 25 workers, which Showers said are mostly locals.
The new MAPCO also features a Pizza Hut Express station with made-to-order pizza, pasta and wings.
Above all, Showers said he is looking forward to how the site will attract Columbia's growing business community, especially in an area that is seeing lots of development, such as the Columbia Mall and other shopping centers around the James M. Campbell Boulevard area.
Another aspect of the company, Showers said, is that it is community driven and often gives back to local organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, as well as Tuesday's $5,000 check to Central High School.
"I've never been to a place where I've met nicer people," Showers said.
"Everyone has just been really welcoming, and we promise to be a good neighbor here. With us, we are strongly community-minded as a company, and that's truly important to us. You can't really say that about a lot of companies. To dedicate this amount of assets to an up-and-coming town like Columbia, we just want to be a part of what is happening here."
Showers also added that the location is significant, given the redevelopment of the Columbia Mall and the South James M. Campbell Boulevard area's anticipated growth over the next few years.
"It's just so nice to see something on this end of town that's really nicely well done," Shower said. "And maybe this will help the community, maybe raise the bar a little bit with what we are doing, and maybe force the hand of people around us to help make everything better. That's what we hope for."
Thousands of cars pass the corner each day where the new MAPCO is located. Maury County is the fastest growing county in the state, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: MAPCO at Carmack Blvd. celebrates grand opening, first location in Columbia
