Jim Griffith was 14 years old when he started in the convenience store industry, spending most of his life working, learning and prospering in the business, he now has over 50 years of experience. As chief executive officer of OnCue, Jim has overseen the company’s growth since he purchased it from his father in 1995. OnCue has grown from 11 stores to today’s 75 locations and employs more than 1,000 Oklahomans with five additional stores set to open in 2019.
Jim has always been at the forefront of cutting-edge c-store concepts including compressed natural gas, electric vehicle charging stations, drive-thrus, and dog parks. His legislative efforts and advocacy on behalf of the c-store industry are highly recognized, as well as his numerous community leadership positions.
His volunteer leadership includes Past President of the Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, Board of Directors of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Past President of Leadership Oklahoma, member of the Board of the World Presidents Organization OKC, and member of the Governor’s Round Table.
Beyond his term as President, Jim was Legislative Chair for the OPMCA for 16 years, traveling every year to Washington D.C. to meet with representatives to advocate for the c-store industry. He was instrumental in attaining funds for underground tanks in Oklahoma, which have continued to receive some of the strongest funding in the nation. Jim also represented the industry on issues such as alcohol laws, taxes and regulations.
In addition to his community leadership positions, Jim has been instrumental in OnCue’s charitable giving. Among other outreach programs, OnCue has raised nearly $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over its 12-year partnership, reinforcing OnCue and the industry as prominent fixtures in nonprofit outreach.
To prioritize environment-friendly practices, Jim spearheaded several green initiatives, which include solar power, LED lighting, geothermal heat and air systems. OnCue’s use of solar energy represents an emission reduction of 958 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of 203 passenger vehicles driven per year. Despite the large initial costs of these additions, Jim truly believes it’s worth the one-time cost to him to save the longer-term costs on the environment.
Jim’s role in the growth of CNG fuels has also been widely acknowledged by Oklahoma’s governors and business developers. OnCue was among the first private Oklahoma fueling retailers to adopt CNG. Similarly, Jim partnered with OG&E in 2016 to provide Oklahoma’s first high-speed charging station, demonstrating his commitment to embracing domestically produced alternative fuels.
Jim also prompted OnCue to become an early adopter of c-store drive-thrus. Building on his dad’s original c-stores with only a walk-up window, Jim recognized the importance of a successful drive-thru at a c-store. Jim built his first c-store drive-thru in 1971, four years before McDonald’s started building drive-thrus. Though the answer to this success has stifled some chains, Jim invested in the program, which allowed it to grow and see significant success at the 20 drive-thrus currently in operation. Patrons have now become accustomed to the luxury of OnCue drive-thrus, giving endless praise for the convenience of not having to take a child out of the car to purchase milk.
Credit must also be given to Jim for OnCue’s beloved dog parks. Six OnCue stores have fenced dog parks that include separate areas for large and small dogs, as well as watering troughs, faux fire hydrants, and agility courses. Jim foresaw the importance of dog parks at c-stores before his colleagues, and now OnCue dog parks are a destination point for locals and travelers alike.
Jim has also received several awards for OnCue’s landscaping and beautification efforts. He is known for his work acquiring local artists to create unique sculptural pieces for OnCue stores. Incorporating local artists into OnCue landmarks has been impactful on customer recognition as well as showing Jim’s commitment to the community.
In 2014, Jim made national headlines when he dropped OnCue gas prices to $1.99, making it the first time in more than four years that any U.S. station sold gasoline for less than $2 a gallon. Though the price drop was temporary, it sparked a larger conversation about the drop crude oil cost.
Jim’s unique leadership style and life philosophy, “do the right thing from the start,” incites integrity and accountability from all OnCue employees. He truly encompasses a lead by example mentality, which has brought OnCue to the level of success it has today. Consequently, the employee turnover rate is significantly lower than the industry average. OnCue’s 2018 turn overrate for store supervisors was 0 percent compared to the national average of 9 percent and regional average of 26 percent. The average length of service for corporate employees is 12 years with 10 employees having been with OnCue for over 30 years and another 10 with over 20 years. This longevity of service is rare in any industry and speaks to the loyalty Jim inspires. It also led OnCue to be named a Top Workplace in Oklahoma three times.
OnCue has been voted best c-store every year in almost every community where it operates. Under Jim’s direction, OnCue has advanced many of its programs, making it one of the most recognizable c-store retailers in the Midwest. His journey in the c-store industry has not only been influential but extremely beneficial to those he has affected along the way.
