“The C [in Choctaw] stands for community.” — Marshall Wright, Senior Director of Marketing, Choctaw Travel Plazas
Across more than ten counties, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma maintains an array of thriving businesses, community service programs, and scenic landscapes. Their success has not come easily, but rather from true dedication to the community they serve. As the third largest federally recognized Native tribe in the U.S., Choctaw Nation’s history is defined by resilience, stewardship, and a commitment to its peoples’ history, lives, and futures. That commitment carries through today across its diverse enterprises, including a growing network of retail and fueling locations that support both residents and travelers throughout southeastern Oklahoma.
The Choctaw Nation initially entered the convenience retail space in 1989 with the opening of its first c-store. Since then, their fueling operations have steadily expanded to more than 20 locations while maintaining high service standards and clear focus on community impact. From the beginning, Choctaw chose to invest in DFS Wayne products. Over more than two decades, that partnership has delivered dependable performance and a level of forecourt engagement that leaders say stands apart in the industry.
Now, Choctaw Nation is once again investing in the future of its sites, customers, and people. Following the successful installation of its first Wayne Ovation® fuel dispensers equipped with the DFS Anthem UX® platform at one of their flagship resort properties, the Nation committed to a large-scale modernization effort across its network. In a coordinated push, a dozen locations received a total of nearly 80 new dispensers. Plans to bring Anthem UX to five additional sites are already underway, eventually standardizing the technology across all fueling locations.
Anthem’s performance and potential drove the Travel Plazas team’s decision to move forward all at once. “There’s not anything else out there currently doing what the 27-inch Anthem’s going to do,” said Chuck Tillman, Senior Director of Retail Operations for Choctaw’s Travel Plazas. Since the Anthem upgrades went live, Choctaw Nation has not only outpaced new competitors but markedly grown sales. Leaders credit the platform with elevating their customers’ overall experience. The new fuel dispensers have been a welcome and noticeable upgrade. The sleek, modern, and intuitive design is eye-catching, and the overwhelming response from customers has been appreciation and excitement.
Beyond the physical upgrade, Choctaw Nation was drawn to the broader digital ecosystem that Anthem UX enables. From an IT perspective, tools such as DX Monitor® have transformed how the team supports its sites, allowing staff to diagnose issues internally before escalating to vendors and reducing downtime in the field. “There’s just a lot of benefit with those tools,” commented IT Manager Jaime Summit. “In the past, we would rely heavily on vendor support, whereas now, before we start opening up a case or digging into what the issue is, we can do a lot of preliminary work where before that wasn’t available.” The Nation’s IT team was also impressed by Anthem’s PCI cybersecurity standards and the stability of backend systems, which have resulted in minimal disruptions since deployment and a powerful sense of assurance internally.
On the marketing side, the wide digital display and highly customizable media made possible with DX Promote® are opening new doors. Choctaw Nation is excited to tell richer stories at the pump through expanded video content, highlighting community events, concerts at casino properties, career fairs, and special initiatives across its territory. Most recently that includes their new collectible cups, now available to support Choctaw Travel Plaza scholarships for deserving students. They intend to use campaigns like this to create more meaningful touchpoints with customers that reinforce their community, culture, and opportunity. “The [Anthem UX platform] offers customers a better experience, whether they come in and experience the store, whether it’s loyalty offers, or any of the specials we’re running. Just even to be able to tell some brand stories in a way that I think is really going to resonate,” said Marshall Wright, Senior Director of Marketing for Choctaw.
The team also noted the ease of use of DX Promote’s content management system and its benefits across locations and customer segments. “You’ve got X amount of time that somebody’s paying attention to those screens… So, we have to prioritize the messages that we get in front of them,” Wright explained. “We have associates that fuel up with us, tribal members, and regular community as well. We want to make sure that we’re communicating what is important to them… Being able to do that at a community level versus having to broadcast it to every location when it may not be relevant to everyone, now we have better capabilities.”
Operationally, the upgrades have even delivered additional benefits for fleet fueling, which has now been simplified by routing payment directly through Anthem, allowing the removal of separate kiosks and reducing hardware complexity. The result is a smoother experience for commercial drivers and fewer potential points of failure for site teams.
Throughout the rollout, the partnership with DFS and distributor SPATCO has proved attentive, thorough, and quick to address site needs. Installations have been smooth and efficient, with recent sites completed in record time. When small issues have surfaced, they have been quickly resolved through close collaboration between all teams. The Nation’s team even named multiple DFS representatives across sales, installation, and customer support who they wanted to thank for earning their relationship. Ongoing weekly check-ins and responsive warranty support have given Choctaw Nation confidence that help is always within reach.
As Choctaw Nation continues to modernize its retail network, the goal remains the same as it was in 1989: to serve its community with care, consistency, and forward-thinking solutions. More than just fuel, their sites build connections, share meaningful stories, and secure a stable foundation for a prosperous Choctaw future.
