By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Navy veteran Cody Stockings has started the process of reopening Victory Fuels on Highway 51. He said his gas station will be a place to enjoy a cup of coffee and chat about life.
The past few months have been tough on the appearance of the Millington business community.
Around town several closed or for rent signs have popped up in windows of former establishments. Highway 51 has seen its share in recent months with the closing of Barb-A-Rosa’s Barbeque and the Hair Jungle. But just a few feet away during that time Cody Stocking was preparing his venture into the business-world.
On Jan. 15, he signed a lease for the property at 7790 Highway 51 to reopen Victory Fuels gas station. A month later he opened the doors on a limited basis.
“My plans are to make it a reliable, normal gas station just with my own touch to it,” Stocking said. “It’s going to have everything a gas station should have and possibly a little bit of home-cook food in the future. It’s our own recipes.”
Throughout the first month and half, Stocking has been restocking shelves, creating a product list, organizing the exterior and painting. The whole time, the Oklahoma native was in the process of making the move to Millington from Cordova with his wife Nani.
Stocking has been all over the world. And he met his wife, who is from this area, in Iraq after serving in the U.S. Navy from 2001-07.
“I served in the Navy,” Stocking noted. “And it’s a good conversation starter. It changes the pace of life around here. I enjoy mixing it up with people.”
Stocking said he is looking forward to having regulars come through his station and giving them a place of friendly convenience.
“I hope it serves Millington,” he said. “I hope to bring back a little bit of our grandparent’s type of gas station. Back in the day people used to talk and talk about patriotic stuff.
“Maybe they’ll be conversation about the Declaration of Independence,” Stocking concluded. “There are a lot of young people that don’t know the history behind that document.”
Stocking said he plans a grand opening this spring.
