Local convenience store manager receives big surprise, honor

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. — Local store manager, Kenneth Dale Feagin, was given quite the surprise Tuesday when he was awarded the ‘2014 Store Manager of the Year’ award by the South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores (SCACS), an association that represents more than 3,600 stores across the state.

“The Store Manger of the Year Award is like winning an Oscar in the convenience store industry,” said SCACS treasurer, Sheri Mehaffey.

Feagin, is the manager of the Hess Express Store on St. James Ave, in Goose Creek. Doug Rohe, market leader for Hess Express, nominated Feagin for the award. He was then selected by an association committee from a group of nominees around the state. The award will be presented to Feagin in Hilton Head on July 20th.

Feagin has worked for Hess Express for eight years and has made his store one of the top stores for the company, officials said. His accomplishments include: being a great manager of one of the highest volume sites in South Carolina, consistently hitting all financial and appearance goals and volunteering to be a “guest services” trainer for Hess Express. He’s also trained more than 200 hourly employees and received his Certified Trainer License for Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

Feagin was also selected as the Region 4 “Manager of the Year” in 2013. In his spare time, Feagin actively participates in Faith Christian Academy as the Assistant Football Coach and is a Sunday school teacher at the Turning Point Church.

There are 3,600 convenience stores in South Carolina – one per every 1,364 people. These stores provided more than 36,110 jobs last year across the state.

Cumulatively, convenience stores in South Carolina serve more than 3.8 million customers every day. An average store selling fuel has around 1,135 customers per day–or more than 400,000 per year.