Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America Inc. opened its first travel center of the year on Jan. 12, setting the company off and running in following up on its 10 new franchise locations in 2020. In all, the company signed 21 franchise agreements last year. The new site is in Huntington, Oregon, located on Interstate 84…

S. Abraham & Sons Inc., a subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., announced the promotion of Marie Wise to Vice President, Marketing. Wise joined SAS in 2008 beginning her career in customer service. From there, she joined the sales department as sales assistant and was promoted to sales administrator. After her time in sales, Wise moved…

Industry leaders Pilot Co. and RTS Financial (RTS) announced a fuel and factoring partnership to help trucking companies grow their businesses. The two companies will work together to provide customized fleet solutions that combine fuel savings, maintenance and tires, loyalty perks and other services across Pilot Co.’s vast network of commercial fueling locations with RTS’…

Atlanta-based RaceTrac has officially opened a new store in Gardendale, Ala., marking its reentry into the Alabama market after 15 years. The new store offers customizable food and beverage options, free Wi-Fi, indoor and outdoor seating and the exceptional store experience and customer service. “We are thrilled to bring the full RaceTrac experience back to…

The Tobacco-21 law (known as Tobacco 21 or T21) raised the minimum purchase age of tobacco products — including e-cigarettes and vaporizers— from 18 years of age to 21 years of age. The law was first adopted by more than 500 cities and towns, as well as Washington, D.C. and 19 states — including Arkansas,…

Financial Information Technologies LLC (Fintech) announced the acquisition of Aperity, an innovative data management and analytic provider. Aperity’s Beverage Data Exchange is the industry’s first community-centric data solution, facilitating business insights between supply chain partners. The Beverage Data Exchange integrates seamlessly with Fintech’s existing data offerings and broadens the Company’s data platform. Fintech will use…

Sheetz announced the promotion of Adam Sheetz into the role of Executive Vice President of Operations. Adam, the grandson of Sheetz founder Bob Sheetz, was previously the vice president of operations for the company. “Adam’s leadership has not only helped Sheetz grow tremendously, but more importantly, he has inspired our teams to consistently deliver on…

It’s not easy standing out in today’s marketplace. Consumers have many choices for food and fuel, and the pandemic has raised expectations for cleanliness and safety. Winning in this new paradigm requires more than consistent execution — retailers also have to communicate their commitment to excellence. Lockport, N.Y.-based Crosby’s Stores is in the process of…

Leading Through Crisis or Calm THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS between convenience store retailers and supplier partners has perhaps never been more pronounced than in 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, it waved in sweeping changes seemingly overnight and left retailers struggling to adapt. And who did operators turn to for insights and solutions? Their…

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. and McGill University have partnered to launch a retail innovation lab at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management — a live testing ground for innovative and frictionless technologies that address the retail sector’s challenges of the future. In a joint effort to transform customer experience at a critical time for retailers, a…