Buc-ee’s Founder Prioritizes ‘Business-Friendly’ Red States for Future Expansion

Buc-ee’s, the iconic Texas-based travel center chain celebrated for its massive scale, pristine restrooms, and cult-like following, has become an undeniable cultural touchstone across the United States. While the company continues to extend its footprint across the nation, its growth strategy has recently sparked a national conversation about the intersection of corporate expansion and regional politics.

Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, the founder and CEO of Buc-ee’s, recently clarified the company’s expansion philosophy, noting that it will explicitly prioritize “business-friendly” red states. This strategic preference has drawn high-profile attention, including from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The Strategy Behind the Beaver

During the recent opening of a new Buc-ee’s location in Benton, Arkansas, Aplin offered a rare glimpse into the company’s site-selection process. While acknowledging that the chain is actively seeking opportunities in various regions, he emphasized that the political and economic climate of a state plays a decisive role in those choices.

“We’re building in a lot of places. But when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” Aplin remarked during the ceremony. “I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing, versus a place like this where people do appreciate what you’re building.”

Aplin noted that the “family-oriented” brand concept thrives when supported by local and state leadership that shares similar values. “That leadership… works so much better if it trickles down from the governor’s office, the congressmen, the senators, and the mayors,” he added.

Currently, Buc-ee’s operates in 13 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. With the exception of Colorado, the company’s footprint is predominantly located in reliably red states, a trend Aplin suggests is by design rather than coincidence.

Political Reactions and Economic Realities

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders seized on Aplin’s comments to bolster a broader narrative regarding the current migration patterns of businesses and residents. Sharing the footage of Aplin’s speech on social media, Sanders claimed that businesses are fleeing blue states to capitalize on the economic environments fostered in conservative strongholds.

“The founder of Buc-ee’s Beaver Aplin put it best: ‘Life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing,'” Sanders wrote in a Facebook post. “That’s why red states like Arkansas are surging and people and businesses are fleeing blue states.”

However, the reality of these economic shifts is nuanced. While high-profile states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee have indeed experienced significant population growth, the data for Arkansas is more modest. According to recent demographic trends, Arkansas saw a 4.9% population growth between 2015 and 2025. While this reflects consistent growth, it trails the national average of 6.2% over the same period, suggesting that the “surge” described by the Governor may be more aspirational than statistically representative of current migration trends.

As Buc-ee’s continues its rapid expansion, Aplin’s comments serve as a clear signal to state governments: for companies of this size, the regulatory and political climate is no longer a secondary consideration—it is a primary factor in where they choose to plant their next flag.