Earl Springer, who is credited with inventing the MTO, is shown at a Sheetz ordering station. Springer, 64, joined Sheetz in 1983 and today serves as manager of employee programs. Mirror photo by Gary M. Baranec

Earl Springer was working as manager of the Sheetz store in Williamsport, Md., in 1986. Little did he know he would come up with an idea that would revolutionize the convenience store industry.

The Hagerstown, Md., native was selling fried chicken — called Yankee Fried Chicken — as a test.

“The quality of the chicken was great but it was so seasonal. On a warm, hot summer day, it flew out the door. We filled the air with chicken in the warm weather months but it dropped like flies in the cold weather months,” Springer said.

Steve Sheetz, company COO at the time, paid a visit to Springer’s store.

“It (chicken) didn’t go well. I asked him to take it out. He said ‘what can we put in?’ He surveyed the market and he said other people with a deli are making sandwiches; he said we should make sandwiches,” Sheetz said.

Preparing for the Sheetz visit, Springer had done his homework.

“Hagerstown had some independent sub shops that did well. What could we do that was better and differentiate us? We just needed a form for people to order. We called it ‘made to order,'” Springer said.

The made-to-order sandwich, or MTO as it is known today, was born.

Within weeks, made-to-order sales doubled and were outpacing pre-made subs. Sheetz then expanded the concept to additional stores and by the early 1990s, MTO was a major sales leader, increasing sales 15-20 percent companywide.

“The first week wasn’t stellar. We spent so much time on the mechanics, we hadn’t spent time on marketing. We sent a country radio station a free sub of the day and they would talk about it on the air. All of a sudden, sub sales took off and kept growing and growing and growing. Once we started marketing, it took off,” Springer said.

The name was officially changed to MTO in 1990. It is a registered trademark of Sheetz.

Today, Sheetz offers a vast MTO menu of subs, sandwiches, chicken, wraps, salads, pizza, hot dogs, Tex-Mex, kids meals, premium coffee, smoothies, milkshakes and more.

The MTO has surpassed hot dogs as Sheetz’s top seller.

“It (MTO) is really synonymous with Sheetz. We sell more hot dogs than all of the major league ballparks in America put together. Sheetz was known for hot dogs before the MTO but people started to think made-to-order,” Springer said.

Springer called the growth of the MTO “explosive.”

Another key was the addition of the first touch-screen menu installed in Altoona in April 1993. They were installed in all stores by 1996.

“Wendy’s and McDonald’s are now just doing it — we did it in 1993. It was freedom of choice to put what people wanted on an order. We revolutionized how people ordered,” Springer said. “A lot of people do it to save labor costs; we did it for speed and accuracy.”

Springer had worked in radio and as an executive for the Boy Scouts of America before joining Sheetz in 1983.

He advanced to a regional manager, then worked in human resources and today serves as manager of employee programs as he marks his 35th year with the company.

Springer is hesitant to take credit as founder of the MTO.

“It wasn’t just me, it was a team of people in my stores and marketing. It is really a team effort. I was at the right place at the right time,” Springer said.

He has enjoyed his time working at Sheetz.

“I fit the culture. Dave Hazlett, who worked in operations for Sheetz, told me on the day I was interviewed ‘Do what you need to do to be successful as long as it is legal,'” Springer said. “Working at Sheetz is like changing tires on a moving vehicle. We never stop, we are constantly moving ahead. Steve said the vision was to put the company as we know it out of business.”

Sheetz has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.

“We are a convenience store and they are not supposed to be great places to work. We were the only convenience store on the list this year,” Springer said.

Springer, 64, who lives in Martinsburg, also teaches online human resources courses at Saint Francis University. He plans to retire from Sheetz next year and travel with his wife, Sheila, but will continue to teach.

Springer has left his mark on the company, Sheetz said.

“He is like the cheerleader for Sheetz. Everybody knows and loves Earl. He has been tremendous. He is so upbeat and positive. I like to surround myself with positive people and there is no one more positive than Earl,” Sheetz said. “In the end, he is the father of the MTO, but his legacy will be the positive impact on the culture of Sheetz.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.