By Justin Schneider, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
January 07, 2009 10:29 pm
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ANDERSON — The Madison County Alcoholic Beverage Board unanimously approved a request by Ricker Oil Co. to sell warm beer and wine in 11 of its local convenience stores, including one in Pendleton.
After more than two hours and testimony from 22 remonstrators, the board voted on each request individually. Board member David Courtney was absent.
The request includes eight Ricker’s stores in Anderson and one each in Elwood, Chesterfield and Pendleton. In representing Ricker Oil, lawyer Jeff McKean said he intended to establish need and desire for additional beer and wine outlets, while demonstrating that such sales would have no negative impact on the community.
“We believe Ricker’s is fully qualified to hold these permits,” McKean said. “It holds permits elsewhere in Indiana and the company was born and bred right here in Madison County.”
Andrew Sprock was the first remonstrator to speak against the proposal.
An educator with Anderson Community Schools, Sprock is using grant money to conduct a study of substance abuse in Madison County.
“According to the statewide health report, Madison County has significant substance abuse concerns,” Sprock said. “Anderson is the ninth-highest, which puts us in the top 10 percent. This is in per capita ratio, so it measures not merely the size of the population, but the size of the problem.”
Connie Vickery, a lobbyist with the Indiana Beverage Alliance, said approval of the request would make Anderson “the wettest city in the state.”
Type 115 licenses allow the sale of warm beer and wine, and are available to drug, convenience and grocery stores. McKean said Ricker’s stores are considered grocery stores because they sell milk and bread, and because alcohol would not represent more than 25 percent of sales.
Jay Ricker, president and co-owner of Ricker Oil, spoke about building his Middletown home business into a regional chain of 53 stories from Greenwood to Fort Wayne.
“We’ve not had warm beer and wine in our stores in years past,” Ricker said. “We will need that to stay competitive.”
Ricker said profit margins are slim when it comes to gasoline sales and Ricker’s makes most of its revenue through convenience store sales. Not selling beer and wine would put his business at a competitive disadvantage.
“Gas is not the majority of our profit,” he said. “Sixty to 70 percent of our profit is inside the store. Candy bars, sandwiches, ATMs, cigarettes. A plethora of items.”
McKean presented board members with a three-ring binder of related documents, including 850 signatures and letters of support for Ricker’s request. Wendy Cook, who is administering a Drug-Free Communities grant, presented 143 signatures of her own, in opposition to the proposal.
Michael Wooley of Anderson said Ricker’s philanthropy was irrelevant to the discussion.
“Availability to buy beer and wine is the issue,” he said. “Not character.”
Katherine Holtzleiter, chief probation officer for Madison County Juvenile Court, expressed concern that 19- and 20-year-old clerks will be able to sell the alcoholic beverages, potentially to underage friends. She also said alcohol can lead young people down a dangerous path.
“Alcohol is a gateway drug just like tobacco is,” she said. “ We know that kids who smoke tobacco and drink alcohol use other drugs for the most part.”
Scott Imus, executive director of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers Association, was the lone voice to speak in favor of the request. He said underage sales and other violations are more likely to occur in liquor stores than convenience stores and said not selling alcohol will put Ricker’s at a competitive disadvantage.
“We’ve heard a lot of testimony that Ricker’s is a great company and it will survive no matter what,” Imus said. “There’s no certainty that Mr. Ricker will stay in the community. He will do what he needs to do to stay in business.”
Jim Hackleman of Keg ‘N Bottle presented a map identifying existing outlets for alcoholic beverages in close proximity to the Ricker’s locations in question. When McKean suggested that the presence of those outlets demonstrated a need, the comment inspired an audible groan from the audience.
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