LA PLATA, Md. — For a century, the Wills name has been tied to the roads, gas pumps and convenience store counters of Southern Maryland — and the family-owned company is celebrating that milestone by reinvesting in the community that helped build it.
Wills Group, the La Plata-based parent company of Dash In, Splash In and SMO Motor Fuels, announced Tuesday, Aug. 25, that it is distributing $500,000 in grants to six Southern Maryland nonprofit organizations through its Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund.
For a company that has made community giving part of its identity, celebrating 100 years by supporting local organizations comes as no surprise.
The grants cap a year of centennial celebrations for the company, which has operated in the region since 1926. The funding will support organizations addressing food insecurity, housing, education and inclusive programming across Southern Maryland.
The six organizations receiving 100th Anniversary Grants include:
- Angels Watch Shelter/Catholic Charities — $100,000 to support temporary housing, case management and connections to social services for families in Southern Maryland.
- Charles County Charitable Trust — $100,000 to continue supporting local nonprofits through grants, professional development and partnerships.
- College of Southern Maryland — $50,000 split between two radiation therapy scholarships and The Hawk Fund, which supports new initiatives at the college.
- Farming 4 Hunger — $100,000 for refrigeration and freezer equipment, mobile meal operations and protein production programs.
- LifeStyles of Maryland — $100,000 in unrestricted funding for programs serving underserved individuals and families.
- Melwood Inc. — $50,000 to support Camp Accomplish, Melwood’s inclusive summer camp for children and teens with and without disabilities.
Melwood’s Camp Accomplish grant builds on a relationship the company has maintained with the organization for years.
“Camp Accomplish is a place where children who live with disabilities and chronic health conditions — and those who don’t — have opportunities to grow, laugh, shine, and belong,” Melwood President and CEO Larysa Kautz said. “We are incredibly proud that the Wills Group is part of our community and grateful for their longstanding partnership with Melwood.”
A Fourth-Generation Leader Who Worked His Way Up
For Julian B. “Blackie” Wills III, becoming president, CEO and chairman of Wills Group was not simply a matter of inheriting the family business.
His experience with the family business began long before he entered its executive offices. At 15, Wills spent a summer working as a helper in SMO Energy’s tank installation department, running pipes through crawl spaces.
His career with Wills Group and Dash In now spans more than 18 years and includes leadership roles in marketing, wholesale operations, supply and distribution, sales, real estate, development and retail strategy.
That path allowed the fourth-generation leader to learn the company from multiple sides before taking its top position. He spent four years as executive vice president of convenience retailing, overseeing the transformation of Dash In and Splash In operations across Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
His experience gave him insight into the responsibilities and challenges employees face throughout the company.
“I can remember snakes and spiders and all those things,” Wills said of his early tank installation work in a video celebrating Wills Group’s 100th anniversary. “Obviously, you have a greater appreciation for what people in those jobs do.”
Wills Group and Dash In have earned Great Place to Work certification for four consecutive years based on employee feedback. In 2025, Dash In was also named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Workplaces in Retail for the third consecutive year, ranking No. 9 nationally.
The recognition reflects the company’s commitment to supporting employees at every level and helping them learn, grow and advance within the organization. It also carries a responsibility that comes with leading a family business bearing their name.
“Reputations are hard to build and maintain, easy to ruin, and that reputation is important,” his father, J. Blacklock “Lock” Wills Jr., said in the company’s 100th-anniversary video.
In April 2021, Wills became president and chief operating officer before being unanimously selected as president and CEO in August 2023.
The transition continued four generations of family leadership while keeping the company rooted in Southern Maryland. Even as Wills Group has grown to nearly 300 retail locations across the Mid-Atlantic, La Plata remains its home and the community remains central to its work.
That commitment shaped how the company chose to mark its 100th year. Rather than center the anniversary around a single celebration, Wills Group built its centennial around a sustained giving effort through the Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund.
“Southern Maryland has been home to Wills Group for 100 years, and our story is deeply connected to the people and communities here,” Wills said. “These grants are an investment in their work and in the region that has supported our family and our company for generations.”
A Century Of Community Investment
Since 2006, Wills Group has donated more than $7 million to community programs, raised more than $3.1 million through the Blackie Wills Golf Classic and contributed more than 3,400 employee volunteer hours.
The Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund, established in 2016, continues that work by supporting families, improving shared outdoor spaces and protecting local waterways. The $500,000 anniversary grants carry that commitment into the company’s second century.
To learn more, explore career opportunities with Wills Group, read the company’s 100-year history or donate to the Blackie Wills Community Leadership Fund.
As Wills Group looks toward its next century, Wills said he remains optimistic about what comes next.
“I think it’s just going to continue to get better and better,” Wills said in the anniversary video. “I think it’s going to be a really fun ride.”
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