Charlottesville’s Tiger Fuel President Gordon Sutton Opens Up About Company Growth and More
In 1982, Gordon Sutton’s father, a successful lawyer, found himself in the unlikely position of running a fuel company. At the time, the company was a small short truck distribution business in Charlottesville, Virginia, selling three and a half million gallons of heating oil a year.
Today, Tiger Fuel is a large-scale operation with an employee count of 270. The company is no longer just about fuel – although the fuel business is expected to distribute approximately 124 million gallons to customers across Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina this year. Still headquartered in Charlottesville, the company now includes nine convenience stores with delis and operates 10 car washes under the All American Car Wash brand.
If you live in Charlottesville – and especially if you’re close to The Market at Bellair on Ivy Road – chances are you know about the gourmet-to-go experience that’s popular there. “We hear all these crazy stories about people driving two hours out of their way to get our sandwiches,” says Tiger Fuel President Gordon Sutton. “The line will be wrapped around the inside of the store and coming back out the store into the lot during UVA game days!”
Gordon, alongside his brother Taylor, runs the business now. Gordon is humble, unassuming, grounded, and articulate. Though he grew up in the business – at 15 years old, riding his bike to go pump gas, wipe windshields and check oil – he once dreamt of a life out West chasing fish. But it’s “Pickle People” he and his team chase today. Here’s more about this soft-spoken, inspiring young entrepreneur.
Q: Tiger Fuel is really diversified. Can you break it down for us?
A: It really breaks down pretty cleanly into three equal buckets. There’s the retail company, which has the stores and the car washes; then we have what we call the short truck or home heat side of our business, which is propane and heating oil [this side of the business serves customers from Appomattox all the way to Culpeper, Virginia]; and then there’s the commercial and wholesale fuel distribution side of the business. This business unit serves the whole state of Virginia into North Carolina, West Virginia and parts of Maryland through a vast network of dealers.
Q: You clearly love Charlottesville, but at one point you thought seriously about living out West. Is that right?
Yes. So I was born and bred here in Charlottesville – went to school here and the University of Virginia – so I’m very passionate about UVA. Charlottesville is a very important part of who I am, who this company is, and what we’re all about.
After UVA, I went to Wyoming. I was a fishing guide out there for three years. I thought that was going to be my “astronaut job,” you know – that I was going to die doing that. And I thought that’s why I was on this earth. And I pretty quickly realized that I had turned the thing I loved the most in the world into work. I also realized I wasn’t realizing my full potential or taking advantage of the gift of a solid education that my parents gave me. So I moved back.
Q: What sets Tiger Fuel and The Markets apart from your competitors?
A: If you think about it, our business, our products, are very generic. You know, nobody’s buying propane from Tiger because it’s better than AmeriGas’s. Nobody’s buying Budweiser or gas or Gatorade at our stores because it’s better than what’s at Sheetz. They’re buying them from us because of our people and our culture and our service. We try to make each customer feel like a celebrity – giving them what we call Tiger Way Service.
That said – and as much as I said our products are generic – we are really, really good at food. In fact, Bon Appétit magazinecredited us with being the first gourmet-to-go gas station. I mean, we’re selling poached salmon and seared steak. Our chefs come from the nicest restaurants downtown and get paid really well. So I’d say what sets us apart is our people, and our commitment to our people, and to the food and service we give.
Sutton with pickle stickers and Tiger Way button.
And I realize that sounds pretty generic, but we really believe that, and it’s baked into our DNA. It’s how we define ourselves. We have a really dynamic, amazing human resources department, and we’re really, really focused on hiring what we call Pickle People.
Q: Did you say “Pickle People”?
A: YES. Part of our onboarding training, or Tiger Way Training, is a half-day training, and there’s a video in there about a successful restaurant. The whole mantra is just, “Give the customer the pickle,” you know? Like, do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. And so we’ve carried that over. I mean, I have pickle socks, we have pickle badges and stickers. It works its way into our hiring process.
Q. In the last few years, you’ve opened three new retail stores and hired 70 employees. How do you find and retain employees?
Again, we have an amazing HR department. They go above and beyond the call of duty. We also pay well, and we have amazing benefits. For example, we just built our own primary care facility with a partner that’s exclusively for our employees. We offer that to part-time hourly folks in the stores. So we’re very, very committed to our employees.
We are also very community minded. The philanthropic work that we’re doing at Tiger is something I’m super, super proud of, and I think it also really helps our ability to recruit and retain, as well. And I think, more importantly, it makes the team feel really great and makes them want to stay and feel good about what they’re doing. It makes them happy at work, which makes them give that great service.
Sutton and his forum at VACEOs Annual Retreat
Q: How has your VACEOs Forum helped you?
I’ve found that it’s been very, very rewarding on a personal level more than anything. When I first got in this role, I was sort of overwhelmed. Nobody wants to hear you complain, and I get that. It’s hard for people to be sympathetic, because they look at you and they’re like, “Oh, you’re at the top!” I totally understand it. But it has been valuable and useful to me to be able to get some stuff off my chest. Sometimes you just need to have somebody to whine to and have them not scoff in your face. The people in my forum group understand what you’re dealing with and are sympathetic.
So it’s been the most beneficial from a personal standpoint – making me a better husband, better father. And I think that correlates to being a better boss and happier person in general, and all of that has an effect. And there are some really, really smart, seasoned, capable people doing some exciting things, and so I’ve learned a lot, too.
“I think if you’re not growing, you’re dying. I know it’s a cliché, but I believe it.” – Gordon Sutton, President, Tiger Fuel
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Continued investment in solar energy projects and diversification into real estate development. We have invested heavily in solar, and we will continue to do that. We’re also developing 33 acres at Zion Crossroads, which will be more of a traditional big box development with a big-name grocery store, a hotel, a couple of restaurants, and apartments and townhomes. That’s a departure for us.
I don’t want to look back on my career and think I just sort of took this gravy opportunity and coasted. I want to look back and say, “I really made a difference. I have that. I made it bigger and better. I created more opportunities for more people.” And so that’s an important part of our future – continuing to grow. I think if you’re not growing, you’re dying. I know it’s a cliché, but I believe it.
About VA Council of CEOs Virginia Council of CEOs members represent a wide range of industries and business sizes. Hundreds of SMB CEOs in Virginia have found the Council to be a critical resource in growing their companies – and themselves. Learn more about the benefits of VACEOs membership.
Pictured left to right: David R. Barrett, President and CEO of Barrett Capital Management, LLC; Charles E. McCabe, CEO of Peoples Tax and The Income Tax School; Arlene Lee, President of R.E. Lee Companies; Scot McRoberts, Executive Director, Virginia Council of CEOs; JJ White, current VACEOs Chair, Dale Carnegie Training Franchise Owner.
Breaking News: VACEOs Names Charlottesville CEO Third Leadership Award Recipient
May 6, 2019, Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia Council of CEOs (VACEOs), a non-profit association serving more than 240 small and mid-sized business owners, announced today that Arlene Lee, President of R.E. Lee Companies has been awarded the Charles E. McCabe Leadership Award. Lee was honored on Thursday, May 2, 2019, for her leadership and dedicated effort to grow the Charlottesville membership base at the 15th Annual VACEOs Retreat held at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The Charles E. McCabe Leadership Award, presented by the Virginia Council of CEOs Board of Directors, recognizes VACEOs members who make significant leadership contributions to the Council. Chuck McCabe, CEO of Peoples Tax and The Income Tax School, was appropriately named as the first recipient of the award during the 2017 VACEOs Retreat. David R. Barrett, President and CEO of Barrett Capital Management, LLC, became the second recipient.
Arlene Lee has been an active member of the Council since 2016. She currently serves as a Forum Leader and is an active Advisory Board member. Frequently making trips to VACEOs events in Richmond from her home base in Charlottesville, she is a valued ambassador and connector between the Council and the Charlottesville market membership base. Lee tirelessly connected the Council leadership with influencers and attended nearly every one of 25 events held in Charlottesville over the last two years.
“When we began our expansion in Charlottesville, this member led the way,” said JJ White — current VACEOs Chair and Dale Carnegie Training Franchise Owner — during the award presentation.
“She made such a difference because she simply shares her experience of being a newer CEO, and the many ways that the Council and her Forum have helped her learn and grow as a leader,” said Scot McRoberts, Executive Director, Virginia Council of CEOs. Adding, “The impact of Arlene’s leadership on our growth in Charlottesville has been critical. We simply would not have succeeded without her.”
As of April of this year, the Council has three roundtable groups in Charlottesville.
“My experience here with the Council has been pretty incredible,” said Arlene Lee about the award. “I just really, really want to thank you for what you’ve done for me. What I have done for you is peanuts. You inspire me to do more, learn more, and plant seeds everywhere. Thank you so much, all of you.”
Charles E. McCabe Leadership Award Recipients
2019: Arlene Lee, President, R.E. Lee Companies
2018: David R. Barrett, President and CEO of Barrett Capital Management
2017: Chuck McCabe, CEO of Peoples Tax and The Income Tax School
The VA Council of CEOs and Startup Virginia are pleased to announce a new community partnership, as Startup Virginia officially launches its peer-to-peer Founders Roundtable program. The program provides founders an intentional opportunity to connect with other founders in order to share, support, and learn from each other as they grow their businesses.
Scot McRoberts of VACEOs
“We were happy to help SVA with the tools and training they needed to build their roundtable program,” said Scot McRoberts, Executive Director, VA Council of CEOs. “We believe peer roundtables make better CEOs and more successful companies, which makes our community stronger. It’s natural for us to want to equip these startup CEOs with such a powerful tool to help them grow and succeed.”
The VA Council of CEOs worked with Startup Virginia staff to create the Founders Roundtable program and provided training for the leaders of the five groups. The program will facilitate structured monthly meetings for small groups of 7-10 diverse entrepreneurs to participate in confidential discussions about the professional and personal challenges of operating a high-growth startup.
Richard Wintsch of Startup Virginia
“We are incredibly grateful for the support and expertise of the VA Council of CEOs in the development of our Founder Roundtable program,” said Richard Wintsch, Executive Director, Startup Virginia. “As a business incubator, the biggest value we offer our founders is the opportunity to support and learn from each other, and this new initiative does it in an intentional way. We’re really excited to provide this opportunity to our member startups.”
About the Virginia Council of CEOs
The Virginia Council of CEOs is a nonprofit association that serves the CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses in Virginia. The Council was founded in 2000 to connect CEOs so that they can learn and grow together. Made up of more than 240 members from the Richmond and Charlottesville regions, the Council is poised for continued growth. Learn more at https://www.vaceos.org/.
About Startup Virginia
Startup Virginia (SVA) is a nonprofit, high-growth business incubator dedicated to advancing businesses that build a long-term, sustainable economy for Virginia. We currently serve 70 startup companies, more than 180 mentors and subject matter experts, and a regional investors network. SVA also provides entrepreneurial guidance and education that is open to all. With support from our partners, mentors, investors, and donors, we help entrepreneurs reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.startupvirginia.org.
VACEOs Member Profile: COLAB President Steps Away and Into Innovation
For Eddie O’Leary, president of web development firm COLAB, one of the best business decisions he ever made was to step away from it – to release himself from operational concerns, that is, and focus on the reason he got into business ownership in the first place.
It was two years ago when he had a serious discussion with himself. “So for me, I had to kind of put my ego in check, and I had to say, ‘You know what? There’s really somebody else who can run this business better than me, and I’ll focus on strategy and sales and the things that I really like,’” explains O’Leary.
In this case, that meant a sustained focus on growing the business and building up his leadership team – and investing in a quality chief operating officer.
Turns out O’Leary’s ego check has paid off royally. In 2018, COLAB made Richmond BizSense’s RVA 25 list of fastest-growing companies (again) and attained Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies status for the first time. Today, COLAB is in innovation mode, reaching into untapped opportunities that may not have come about otherwise.
O’Leary says the leadership work and investment in the team has “allowed me to go back and do some of the things that are really the reason that I started this company in the first place – which is to create new opportunities, explore new technologies and really grow our offerings.”
He’s particularly excited about the opportunities Alexa may bring.
“ALEXA, WHAT IS COLAB?”
O’Leary describes COLAB as a company that solves business challenges. “Our niche is solving business problems with technology,” he explains. “We typically build websites and web applications that are designed specifically to solve problems, create opportunities or create operational efficiencies. What makes us special is the fact that we have a full team of strategists, designers, developers, engineers and product managers all located here in Richmond full time.”
The reinvigorated COLAB of today augments large-company marketing teams and designs apps for voice recognition platforms like Alexa.
“COLAB has been creating a great product for a long time, but the work we’ve done in the last year or two to build up a great leadership team has allowed me to go back to focusing my time on increasing the innovative product offerings we have, such as Amazon Alexa smart speaker apps, as well as putting together our digital partnership program.”
O’Leary is particularly excited about the opportunities associated with smart speakers, smart TVs, and the Alexa and Google Home product lines, as consumers are moving away from web searches and using voice-activated tools for information instead. According to O’Leary, it’s a trend business owners need to keep an eye on.
“The growth in that area has been tremendous,” he says. “It’s [Alexa] a device no one had heard of three years ago, and now something like 42 percent of people have them in their homes.” It’s an untapped area well-suited to COLAB. In fact, the team just released the first smart speaker app for the Virginia Lottery.
A LEADER BY DEFAULT? (WE THINK NOT.)
O’Leary describes himself as a “CEO by default,” explaining that even though he grew up watching his father run several small companies, he didn’t feel like business ownership was for him. (His background is in political science.)
After a stint building websites and web applications, O’Leary saw an opportunity, and COLAB was born – and, though it wasn’t his initial intention, he became a CEO.
Whatever the name or role assigned to him, O’Leary is clearly a LEADER. He has the courage to act on opportunities, even if that means a bruised ego.
“I think there comes a time for some people like me when you have to recognize that doing everything yourself or solving all business challenges or being in charge isn’t what necessarily defines success for you,” he says.
Empowering others. Acting on opportunities. O’Leary a leader by default? We think not.
O’Leary has been a member of the Council since 2014 and he’s found that the relationships he has formed there have helped him make smart decisions.
“As I think back about the time when I joined the Council, I would say that our business was doing a great product, and it was a valid, legit business. But we were probably around eight or nine people and around a million dollars in revenue,” he says. Adding, “I recognized, by being part of the Council, that it was important for me to take some serious steps in order to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity COLAB had. Through my Roundtables, and through the people I’ve met, I’ve really been able to take advantage of other people’s experiences to make really smart decisions about how to grow the company.”
Our members enjoy a unique safe haven culture, where learning and growth are valued. They connect, learn, and grow with the leaders of some of Virginia’s fastest growing companies. But don’t take our word for it. Here are seven reasons why Members value the VA Council of CEOs, as written in their own words.
In Their Words: 7 Reasons Why CEOs Value Virginia Council of CEOs
#1) Realization “I’m not alone”
“The peer network is second to none. For me, the opportunity to connect and share similar experiences with other CEOs has been invaluable. It removes the ‘it’s lonely at the top’ feeling and gives you an abundance of friendships, support and objectivity.” – R. Zacharias, CEO, Barber Martin Agency
#2) The confidential Roundtable experience
“The peer sharing experience gives you information that will help you avoid some pitfalls and really gain from their experience, which is what the Council is all about.” – J. Fitzgerald, CEO, Taradel, Inc.
#3) Like-minded peers
“The Council provides access to leaders who are like minded and share the same passion as I do as a leader. We learn from each other and share experiences about our businesses and our personal lives. This gives me an outlet to learn, grow, and build new relationships.” – B. Leach, President, Unboxed Technology
#4) Continuous improvement/time to work on the business
“It is easy for me to get pulled into the weeds as I work with issues that occur in the business. The Council serves as a continuous reminder to me of the importance of stepping back to work on the business.” – J. Boyden, CEO, Heart Havens
#5) Business growth
“When I look at our organization today and think about all of the great things we’ve done over the last 10 years, the Council has had a hand in all of it.” – H. Clifford, President, Livewire
#6) Safe, no-sell environment
“I think the Council is a valuable organization because it provides a place to meet and learn from so many other business owners in safe space where you are not constantly sold to.” – T. Hamilton, Owner, U-Fab Interiors
#7) Personal growth
“I am a better boss and business partner and more well rounded. It pushes you to be better. It offers a path out of your comfort zone to a success zone.” – C. Brodersen, CEO, Infotel Systems
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