Florida residents Lashawn Flowers and Shanita Vickers are now the proud new owners of a Shell gas station franchise in Hollywood, Florida.
The two are the first Black owners of a gas station in the city, and it’s possible that Flowers and her daughter Vickers may be the on Black gas station owners in South Florida, Black Enterprise reports.
In fact, Flowers, 51, says that she and her daughter, 35, own not one, but two Shell stations.
“We were able to negotiate a two-for-one deal,” Flowers told the news outlet.
In all, Flowers said that the process took three weeks, incluidng credit applications and background checks.
While the first station is currently open for business in Hollywood, Florida, the second location will open next year about 50 miles south in West Palm Beach, Floria.
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The mother-daughter duo of Deerfield, Florida, was already in business with local hair and nail salon Girlz Collectionz and other establishments prior to acquiring the Shell gas stations.
The two came to the decision to purchase the Shell stations after the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to close another business, a local night club called the Groove City Bar & Lounge.
“I don’t believe in failing in anything I do,” Flowers said in the Black Enterprise story. “If you don’t work your business, it won’t be a success. You absolutely must put in the hard work.”
Each woman is equal partners in every one of their business ventures.
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“I really value having a family-owned business because family is who you can trust,” Flowers said. “My daughter, Shanita, is a wonderful mom of two beautiful children and also a phenomenal entrepreneur who is awesome to work with. We work well together because we understand each other.”
News of their purchase of the Shell stations spread across the internet, and the two are being praised on social media.
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