QuikTrip founder Chester Cadieux dies at 84

Chester Cadieux, who as co-founder of the Tulsa-based QuikTrip convenience store chain helped build it into a dominant regional brand that has long ranked among the best companies to work for nationally, died Monday at his home in Tulsa.

He was 84. Services are pending.

The Tulsa World reports Cadieux and Burt Holmes opened the first QuikTrip in 1958 in Tulsa.

Today, the Cadieux family is behind some 700 QuikTrip gas station and convenience stores across 11 states in the Midwest and South. Just two weeks ago, the company was named to Fortune’s Best Places to Work list for the 14th straight year.

In addition to his place as co-founder, Cadieux served 45 years as company president and CEO. His son, Chet Cadieux, is now the company's CEO.

He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in business administration and then served in the Air Force.

Cadieux, whose secret, according to the company, was to "hire good people and promote from within," would lead the chain beyond Oklahoma, expanding and gaining market share across the Midwest and Southeast, helped by being one of the first convenience store chains to be open 24 hours.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "QuikTrip founder Chester Cadieux dies at 84."