Sorm's
 | |
| Industry | Gas Stations
Shower House Truck Stops |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Rudolph Sorm |
| Headquarters | Metter, GA |
Area served | North America South America |
Sorm's is an American based chain of gas stations, shower station houses, and truck stops that has been in operation since 1913 headquartered in Metter, Georgia. Despite a long and storied history, Sorm's is perhaps best known for its controversial Gas Hole exploration program, which has resulted in numerous explosions and deaths over the years. Despite these controversies, Sorm's has also played a significant role in shaping American culture and fashion, and the brand remains a prominent fixture in popular culture. Sorm's offers various products, including Sorm’s HEET oil, Bopes Marshmallow Wafers, FUCKER energy drinks, Earl Grey from the Fountain, and the Sorm's Mug, Sorm’s HEET oil is designed to cool engines and prevent gunk buildup after 5,000 miles of use guaranteed. Bopes Marshmallow Wafers come in rolls and are now free from poison, but still have the same green goop. FUCKER™ energy drinks, including FUCKER™ energy LIGHTNING POWER and FUCKER™ classic, are now part of Sorm’s family and come in citrus flavor. Sorm’s also serves lukewarm Earl Grey from the Fountain and provides customers with lifetime unlimited free drinks with the purchase of a Sorm’s Mug. Additionally, Sorm’s sells Griffgan Jerky Ream, which can be purchased starting at $4999.99 and lasts for approximately year. Customers can also buy the Gaffgan + Fabricia book in collaboration with Skeleton Realm’s Doug Bleichner.
History
In 1913, Rudolph Sorm, a young entrepreneur from Savannah, Georgia, purchased a vacant lot in Metter, Georgia, locally know as the Borm Nest, and saw an opportunity to capitalize on the growing trend of automobile travel by selling snacks and treats to motorists. He later expanded to every U.S state and even opened a location in Inner Mongolia, which closed within a year.
During World War II, Sorm's Troop Snacker Benefits Program was created to give rewards to soldiers that included anything from a free pack of cigarettes to 800,000 acres of farmland in rural Iowa. However, miscalculations and redemption estimates resulted in no prizes beyond a single sleeping bag being awarded, leading to a high-profile lawsuit that bankrupted the company.
After the death of CEO TB Sorm in 1948, his son TBB Sorm took over the company and rebuilt the brand, paying off all of its debt by 1953 and expanding Sorm's to include sprawling shower station houses at their truck stops. These shower stations became public forums where larger social and political movements emerged, and Sorm's became a center for music and art where a new type of American counterculture was birthed. The Borberman, Glasshouse Flower Experiment, and Northern Popmen were just a few of the bands who played their first shows at Sorm’s.
As the tumultuous 1960s came to a close, Sorm's entered another era of controversy with TBB Sorm's creation of "gas hole pipe exploration events" at several key locations, where customers could tour the gas pump pipes up close. However, this initiative ended in massive explosions and death at every location.
In 1974, an especially large explosion occurred during a gas hole exploration tour at the Sorm's location near Porsonville, resulting in the death of a local man who had become a legend known as the "Gas Master" or "Hole Troll". He was said to have been flung out of the gas hole opening during the explosion, but local legend purports that he survived and landed safely in a nearby bog. Despite the controversy, Sorm's continued to operate and expand their shower station houses and truck stops.
TBB Sorm's daughter, BTT Sorm, took over the company in 1980 and expanded the gas hole exploration program, which resulted in 543 more explosion disasters at various locations. She resigned from her position in 1988, and Richard Morkmee Sorm, BTT's cousin and TB Sorm's grandson, became the CEO.
Under Richard Morkmee Sorm's leadership, the company implemented innovative practices such as bright flashing lights to create a sense of calmness for shoppers and the Sorm whistle, which played a barely audible high-pitched sound to calm shoppers' brains. RM Sorm also saw the potential of the internet and by 2001, all Sorm's locations had internet cafes filled with gas-powered computers for shoppers to send emails and play games.
Sorm's internet cafes became a hub for cyber road warriors, and hackers used them to hack toll booths and digital highway signs. By the mid-2000s, the Sorm's brand became synonymous with dirty hacking. This drastically impacted Sorm’s reputation. Customers state Sorm’s atmosphere “wasn't matching what we wanted our children to see and the sound of computers was unbearable. “ The fumes from the gas-powered computers could reportedly almost choke you upon entering the Sorm’s.
As the 2010s progressed, the Sorm's brand became a fashion icon, with their wet and reflective aesthetic sweeping the fashion and art world. The signature look incorporated a wet appearance, reflecting the classic Sorm's shower experience, and included reflective trucker vests and rubber tire core skidmark aesthetics. The Sorm's style heavily influenced many high-end fashion brands, seen in Cobblestone designer stores in the Lower East Side and Rodeo Drive.
Present Day
In recent years, Sorm's has worked to rebuild its reputation by implementing an extreme vetting process for customers accessing their facilities and services. In 2020, most Sorm's branding and signage was stripped from highways, with many locations boarded up and only accessible through underground tunnels and back entrances. Allegedly, the gas stations still act as hubs for secretive elite meetings, with claims that major political figures are card-carrying Sorm's members who meet there to discuss business and economic policy. These claims are unverified. In 2023, Sorm's has reopened to the public after a period of closure and secrecy. It remains to be seen how the brand will adapt and evolve in the coming years.
In 2023, Sorm's was the subject of an award winning documentary created by Skeleton Realm and MeMoreTV titled "Sorm's Gas & Gifts: Gas Through Time"
Controversies
Sorm's has a long and storied history that includes numerous controversies. One of the most infamous controversies in the company's history occurred in 1979 when the 23rd Gas Hole exploration ended in disaster, resulting in the death of several tourists. TBB Sorm quietly exited the company shortly after, but his daughter BTT Sorm took control in 1980 and doubled down on the Gas Hole explorations. Her attempts to expand the program to 100 new locations were met with failure, and she was forced to step down in 1988 after causing 543 more explosion disasters.
In the mid-2000s, the company became synonymous with dirty hacking, as cyber road warriors used Sorm's internet cafes to hack toll booths and change digital highway signs to say profane words. This tarnished the Sorm's brand and led to a significant decline in business.
Sorm's has faced criticism for its extreme vetting process and secretive nature. Many customers have expressed concern about the stringent requirements to access the company's facilities, which includes a thorough background check and personal interview. Additionally, rumors have circulated that Sorm's gas stations are now being used as meeting places for elite politicians and businesspeople, leading to speculation about the company's involvement in secret deals and economic policy-making. These claims are unverifiable.