Award this morning a surprise to Walhalla’s Steve Lemere

Winning statewide store manager of the year is like capturing an Oscar in the business that is convenience stores. That’s the assessment of a former officer of the South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores. And this morning the award for 2018 was presented to Steve Lemere, the 30-year manager of Walhalla’s Bountyland Quik Stop on Main Street. It was a surprise, as those involved in the presentation kept it a secret. A secret, that is, until a large group of people surprised Lemere at his place of work. At the time, Lemere had his hands full of soft drink bottles. Lemere received the congratulations of Jack O’Malley, the director of operations for the Bountyland Quik Stop chain. Hannah Lorance of Columbia, executive director of the state association of convenience stores, announced that, as part of the award, he gets an expense-paid trip to Hilton Head and the annual meeting of the association. O’Malley said that Lemere’s long-running identity to the Walhalla Bountyland is such that customers think of him as the store. For the next year, customers entering the store will see a large banner proclaiming Steve Lemere the 2018 South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores’ manager of the year.