The CEO of popular gas station chain Buc-ee’s, recently stated that the Texas-based company might be through with looking into blue districts, stating that some of these communities do not appreciate what they bring to the table, while conservative states offer business-friendly and family-oriented values. Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, the company’s president, made the comments during the grand opening of a new Buc-ee’s location in Benton, Arkansas on August 17, 2026.
The chain is well known for its expansive gas stations, immaculate bathrooms, and wide selection of in-house food items. “We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places. But when you find a conservative business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” Aplin went on to say during the grand opening.
Aplin then ripped into states that he says do not appreciate what Buc-ee’s brings to their communities, suggesting the company would rather focus time and attention toward expanding elsewhere. Aplin stated that conservative states tend to promote business-friendly and family-oriented policies that align with his company’s values.
“I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing, versus a place like this where people do appreciate what you are building,” he said, according to a report from Fox Business. That leadership, that concept, that idea of conservative, business-friendly, family-oriented concept works so much better if it trickles down from the very leadership from the top at the governor’s office, at the congressman, at the senator, at the mayor, the representatives.”
Aplin then pointed to Benton as a prime example of the kind of approach that Buc-ee’s is looking for in a community, saying the business-friendly environment helped clear a path for the new location. “What we found when we got here into Benton was a business-friendly town,” he stated at the grand opening. Buc-ee’s was originally founded in 1982, with each location featuring a 74,000 square foot space with over 120 fueling positions.
When Buc-ee’s rolls into town, it brings with it over 200 jobs. The company currently has 58 locations, with 37 of those being in Texas, according to the company’s website. Buc-ee’s has expanded to 13 other states in the country including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia.
Almost all of the cities where Buc-ee’s has built one of its massive travel stations is located in a conservative-leaning area, with a few that are more mixed when it comes to political views and policies. There’s a store located in Auburn, Alabama for example, which is a college town located in a mostly Republican county, which is more politically mixed than many surrounding communities.
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The store in Brunswick, Georgia is based in a more Democratic-leaning community, despite being seated in a Glynn County, which is usually more on the conservative side. As of this writing, more Buc-ee’s locations are slated to open including a travel center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee later this fall. Six locations are scheduled to open in 2027.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video