Wawa in New Jersey: Then, Now and Tomorrow
Deeply Rooted in New Jersey
Wawa’s rich history dates back to 1803, transitioning from an iron foundry, to textile mills, to dairy processing and of
course, to our current convenience and gas retailing. But Wawa’s true New Jersey beginnings trace back even
further, to the 1700s when Wawa’s founders, the Wood family, moved to Salem County. By 1803, Wawa was born –
as an iron foundry – in Millville, NJ, where one of the Wood brothers soon after built the now-historical Millville
Mansion House.
In the 1850s, the iron foundry evolved into a textile mill and bleachery, the Millville Manufacturing Company and
Manantico Bleach and Dye Works, which by 1917 employed more than 1,000 NJ residents. By that time, the same
Wood who built the textile mill, George Wood, had taken an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small
processing plant in on the other side of the Delaware, in Wawa, PA, in 1902. The milk business was a huge success,
due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. The textile company was sold in the 1960s, and as home
delivery of milk declined around that same time, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food
Market in 1964 in Folsom, PA as an outlet for dairy products. The first Wawa Food Market in New Jersey opened in
1967 in Vineland, New Jersey.
Today, Wawa is New Jersey’s all day, everyday stop for fresh, built-to-order foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services
and surcharge-free ATM's, with more than 240 stores throughout the state. In total, Wawa has more than 600 stores
(302 offering gas), throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
The stores offer a large fresh food service selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies, freshlybrewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, built-to-order Specialty Beverages, and an assortment of soups, sides and
snacks. Wawa was built on a sturdy foundation of values, and throughout our rich history, Wawa’s commitment to
living its six core values has remained. Wawa associates have a deep rooted pride in Wawa history, in the quality of
their products and in our fundamental set of values.
Expansion in New Jersey:
In the winter of 2013, Wawa again redefined convenience, flying north to expand in North Jersey. Wawa celebrated
the grand opening of its first store in Hudson County, NJ on January 11th, 2013 in Kearny, NJ, the first of additional
stores opening in North Jersey in 2013.
Every Wawa store employs on average 50-60 associates. Associates in these full and part-time positions will not only
receive competitive salaries and health benefits, but will have the opportunity to participate in Wawa’s employee
stock ownership plan (ESOP), once eligible. As part of Wawa’s commitment to being a good neighbor, Wawa places
a high priority on working with community and charitable organizations that seek to improve and enrich the
neighborhoods its serves. Wawa has already begun to establish relationships with community partners and build the
foundation for the future causes Wawa will make its own.
Leadership:
Chris Gheysens, President and Chief Executive Officer
Richard D. Wood, Jr. Chairman
Ownership: Wawa is privately held; all stores are company owned and operated
Wawa Logo:
“Wawa” is the Lenni Lenape name for a Canadian goose. Over 100 years ago, our original dairy farm was built on
land located in a rural section of Pennsylvania called Wawa. It was named Wawa by this Native American tribe in
honor of their favored game – the Canadian Goose. To this day, Wawa’s corporate headquarters are still located in
Wawa and the Canadian Goose is now a literal and metaphorical symbol for our company. Like a flock of Canada
Geese flying in “V” formation, we pride ourselves on teamwork and encouragement. We think it’s the only way to fly.
Store Hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Employees: 19,000
Highlights:
• Serves more than 400 million customers annually
• Brews over 195 million cups of our award-winning coffee each year
• Builds more than 70 million built–to-order hoagies annually