07/20/2026
Meet Heather, General Manager and Compliance Officer, celebrating 14 years at To***co Junction!
Fourteen years ago, Heather walked through the doors of the store in Longview and felt something she still talks about today. "It felt like walking into a family that was already formed and they were waiting to welcome me in." She started at the Loop in Longview, was promoted to Coordinator, and within six months was supervisor over the East region.
Today she is one of the people who keeps the whole operation running. Ask Heather what makes her good at the job and she points to curiosity. "I have a need to know how everything works," she says, and she believes it is contagious. The more her team understands the why behind what they do, the harder they want to work. "I like to be the wheels on the train. I want to keep them rolling."
That drive shows up everyday. "Everyday is a new day," she says, "Always new products, new customers, new faces, and always something to learn."
None of it works without the people around her. "It's very, very, very team-oriented, 100% all the way around."
Some moments stick with her. During COVID, when the stores shut down completely, she remembers the owner, himself, stepping in to work the drive thru. But the day she lights up about is the East Texas Cigar Festival. "I had such a fun day asking where everybody came from. These customers drove from five, six hours away just to come to our festival. I enjoyed that."
For Heather, it all comes down to how customers feel when they walk in. "I want customers to feel welcomed, number one. As if we've literally been waiting just for them." Whether it is a quick and easy transaction or a customer who needs help finding the right product, her team is there to greet them. "Our customers are just as much part of the family."
So what do 30 years mean to her? "It means we've been accepted into our communities, we provide products people keep coming back for. We have the best products, the best communities, and the best people."
