dollargeneral75.comDollar General 75th Anniversary | dollargeneral75.com

-- THEN • • • • • NOW WELC ME Dollar General 75th Anniversary IN OUR STORIED HISTORY We’ve grown from a single store to one of the country’s fastest growing small-box discount retailers. A passionate commitment to serving our customers, employees and communities is the foundation of our growth. scroll to explore our rich heritage V V V V V "AT DOLLAR GENERAL, OUR VALUES AND OUR MISSION ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR SUCCESS. WE HAVE A UNIQUE CULTURE OF SERVING OTHERS, A RICH HISTORY AND A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE.” - TODD VASOS CEO, DOLLAR GENERAL 1939 J.L. Turner and Cal Turner Sr. open J.L. Turner and Son Wholesale in Scottsville, KY. Each invested $5,000 and became partners in a wholesale dry-goods business to serve retailers who had survived the depression. $10,000 was a lot of money in 1939, but it proved to be a sound investment because providing value to folks was a timeless idea. Learn more about Cal Turner Sr. CAL TURNER, SR Cal Turner, the founder of Dollar General, was a pioneer in discount retail and is credited with creating the dollar store concept. In 1939, he and his father opened J.L. Turner and Sons, which became Dollar General. Cal had a gift for retail. If the price was right, Cal bought it, and figured out a way to pass the savings along to our customers. He had big vision for his business but he always remained true to his small town roots. His greatest loves were family, community and giving back to our hometowns. It’s a spirit of service we still embrace every day. Cal served as president of Dollar General until 1977, when he became chairman and handed the reins over to his son, Cal Turner, Jr. At the time of his death in 2000, Dollar General had grown to nearly 5,000 stores. 1939 In 1939, a pair of stockings cost 25¢ and a girl’s dress shoes or a man’s dress shirt cost 50¢. 1945 The Turners began serving consumers directly through junior department stores. J.L. Turner knew that farmers picked up their checks for tobacco crops in a cold barn. He had Cal Sr. meet them there with a gift – a left-hand half of a pair of warm jersey gloves. If the farmers came to the Turner’s store, they’d get the right-hand glove and an offer to cash their checks. Just one of the many inventive ways the Turners attracted customers. 1950 Macy's of Scottsville Cal Sr. was once greeted outside his store by Ovaletta Gibbs, who declared, "Cal, I've been shopping at your store — the Macy's of Scottsville." When Cal Sr. asked why she compared the town's Dollar General with Macy's, Mrs. Gibbs explained, "I've always heard you can get whatever you need at Macy's." 1955 The First Dollar General Opens. Turner's Department store in Springfield, KY, is converted into the first Dollar General with no item over $1. Soon, Dollar General Stores started sprouting up in southern Kentucky, like this store in Campbellsville, KY. 1956 Paint the town pink. When every man in Springfield seemed to be wearing bright pink corduroy pants that just cost $1, the colorful mystery was soon unraveled. A Nashville manufacturing company was unable to sell a large quantity of the fabric. So Cal Turner Sr. scored a deal by having the corduroy turned into men’s pants, allowing those who appreciated value to save a few – dare we say – pretty pennies. "It's not a family business anymore, but our business is a family." - CAL TURNER JR. 1968 Dollar General Becomes a Public Company. In 1968, 100 shares of Dollar General stock cost $1,650. In 2007, when KKR took Dollar General private, that original investment would have been worth $655,534. 1970 It Shouldn't Cost a Lot to be Thoughtful. That is what Cal Sr. believed. So, for a long time, he searched for good quality greeting cards he could sell 2 for $1. But none of the big card companies would agree to the deal. Finally, Cal found a willing partner. Now, 2 for $1 greeting cards are one of our top-selling items, purchased by thousands of thoughtful customers every day. 1973 A new warehouse and office complex debuts in Scottsville, KY. Several years later, a state-of-the-art automated sorting and conveyer system (pictured here) was added. 1976 Dollar General exceeds annual sales of $100 million for the first time. Perhaps the friendly customer service demonstrated by Cal Turner Sr. was the reason customers kept coming back. 1977 Cal Turner Jr. becomes President and CEO. The torch gets passed from father to son, igniting a period of unprecedented growth. Learn more about Cal Jr. CAL TURNER JR. Cal Turner Jr. was literally born into the business, coming to the world just three months after his father and grandfather founded J.L. Turner and Sons. Although known for his humility, Cal Jr., was an immensely successful CEO and remains a beloved and respected civic leader. He entered the business in 1965 and succeeded his father as president in 1977 and as chairman in 1988. Cal Jr. grew Dollar General from a regional family business into a publicly traded national leader in the discount sector with more than 6,000 stores in 27 states and annual sales in excess of $6 billion. Cal Jr. was the guiding force behind the company’s mission of Serving Others and carries on that tradition of service today as chairman of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. A Navy veteran and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, he continues to mentor and guide corporate leaders through the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in Professions at Vanderbilt University. 1979 Dolly Parton visits Scottsville on the company’s 40th anniversary. In 1979, Dolly’s single “You’re the Only One” hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles — her fifth chart-topper since 1977. For nearly a decade, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has provided support to the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provide free books to children across Tennessee. 1985 The company acquires 206 stores and a warehouse from Eagle Family Discount Stores. June Smith, a former Eagle Family Discount store employee, wrote a poem entitled "How To Teach A Flying Eagle To March Like A General" for the company newsletter. The final stanza of her poem reads, "I really think we're going to make it. The new merchandise is on our floors. Proclaiming to folks here in Florida, 'We're now a Dollar General Store!'" "Furthering one's education can improve lives for generations to come." - CAL TURNER JR. 1987 Dollar General launches GED/Learn to Read program. Dollar General’s co-founder, J.L. Turner, was functionally illiterate with a third grade education. In his honor, Dollar General created a free referral program to help individuals learn to read or prepare for their high school equivalency test. Referral brochures are located at the cash registers in all stores. 1988 1980s Dollar General A look back on Dollar General in the 80s. 1988 President Ronald Reagan honors Dollar General for its literacy programs. The White House gives the Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives to Dollar General in recognition of changing the lives of those affected by illiteracy. 1989 Dollar General celebrates its 50th Anniversary with 1,300 stores in 23 states and more than 7,000 employees. In 1989, the majority of products in Dollar General stores are priced at $10 or less. 1993 The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is established. Founded on the belief that literacy opens doors for personal, professional and economic growth, Dollar General created an official grant foundation. Since 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded nonprofit organizations and schools more than $85 million in grants, helping more than 4.8 million people learn to read, get their GED or learn the English language. Click here to learn more. 1995 Dollar General opens a new distribution center in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Ardmore, Oklahoma welcomes Dollar General’s new Distribution Center. 1995 Cal Turner Sr. celebrates his 80th birthday at the Ryman, the long-time home of the Grand Ole Opry. “A Simple Life,” a spec...