Heas Energy, a family owned and operated convenience store chain with 10 Stores in Virginia, has completed the requirements for the Safe Shop Assured program making each of its stores Safe Shop Certified.
Implementation of Safe Shop branding will highlight the company having met and exceeded a 10-point checklist of essential safety measures at its Express Lane/76 branded stores.
Having earned Safe Shop Assured certification, Heas Energy will showcase its commitment to safety and cleanliness by deploying branded decals at high-visibility touchpoints.
“We invest heavily in the safety of our customers and employees,” said Shiv Patel, president and CEO of Heas Energy. “It’s important that we have a way to communicate these investments to our stakeholders. Safe Shop gives us the opportunity to do that.”
Patel founded Heas Energy in 2019 and plans to grow the retail and petroleum distribution businesses. The company is a major 76-branded distributor on the East Coast.
Safe Shop was designed to speak to broader concerns than just the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers, such as Heas Energy, who do the right things deserve the credibility of third-party certification, and consumers deserve to know which brands uphold high standards for safety.
“Safe Shop Assured certification reflects Heas Energy’s commitment to hard work and safety for its consumers and employees,” said John Lofstock, director of Safe Shop. “The challenge is that it’s not always easy to identify the safest retail option. The hard work of keeping stores safe and clean often happens behind the scenes. Safe Shop Assured™ certification makes it easy to quickly identify brands with high standards, and Heas is a great example. It is a progressive company with strong leadership that is focused on going above and beyond the little things to present an outstanding retail experience.”
About Safe Shop Assured
Safe Shop Assured is a certification program available to retailers that meet and maintain essential safety standards. Administered by a multi-generational and diverse board of retailers, suppliers, and industry experts, our goal is to provide customers and employees with additional peace of mind. Safe Shop is a joint venture between Paragon Solutions and WTWH Media. Safe Shop is also a member benefit for the National Advisory Group (NAG). To learn more, visit www.safeshopassured.com or www.nagconvenience.com.
About Heas Energy
Founded in 2019 by Shiv Patel, Heas currently operates 10 convenience stores under the Express Lane brand in central Virginia. Heas Energy President Shiv Patel is also the COO and a stakeholder in a Sunoco and ExxonMobil branded wholesale petroleum distributor, Sun Fuel LLC, Prince George, Va., which operates an independently branded c-store chain, Star Express, and is a Subway, Wendy’s, Little Caesar’s and Huddle House franchisee. All of Sun Fuel’s retail sites and supply-only customers are located in the states of Virginia, South Carolina or North Carolina.
