RECOGNIZED — Sheetz has been named one of the top Companies that Care by People Magazine and Great Place to Work. The Altoona, Pa.-based convenience chain has locations on Three Springs Drive in Weirton, pictured, and along state Route 2 in Follansbee. -- Craig Howell

ALTOONA, Pa. — Sheetz, the regional restaurant and convenience chain, has been named as one of the 2020 “50 Companies that Care” by People Magazine and Great Place to Work.

The annual list, now in its fourth year, focused on how companies have responded to the COVID-19 crisis to care for their employees, their communities and the world.

Sheetz, which has locations in Weirton and Follansbee, ranked 11th on this year’s list, which will be included in the Sept. 14 issue of the magazine, which is now available on newsstands.

“The health and well-being of our team members, customers and communities we call home has been our top priority since the onset of COVID-19,” said Travis Sheetz, president and COO of Sheetz. “As an essential business, Sheetz has been committed to staying open to serve the needs of the community. We are truly grateful for the dedication and commitment of our employees, who have worked tirelessly to provide total customer focus, especially during these challenging times. They are the true heart and soul of this company.”

Throughout the pandemic, Sheetz has reacted swiftly to the rapidly changing environment surrounding COVID-19. This includes implementing new cleaning and sanitization protocols as well as new safety measures, releasing new scan-and-go technology in support of social distancing recommendations, rolling out curbside pickup and delivery options, offering free coffee to health care workers to fuel them as they fought the pandemic on the front lines, donating more than 600,000 meals to children and families in need and much more.

The award winners stand out for stepping up as leaders during an unprecedented time in modern history. Rankings represent the experience of more than 4.7 million U,S, employees. People partnered with Great Place to Work, a global people analytics and consulting firm, to analyze employees’ survey feedback on how their workplaces make a difference in their lives and communities.

“Best workplaces like Sheetz are showing up for their employees and communities during this unprecedented time and they’re able to do this because of the strong investments in their cultures leading up to this point,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Having a foundation of trust has allowed these businesses to find innovative responses to COVID-19.”

Sheetz was founded in 1952 in Altoona, and is one of America’s fastest-growing family-owned-and-operated convenience store chains with more than 20,000 employees. The company operates more than 600 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.