A new store design, a dazzling foodservice program and outstanding customer service earns the Massachusetts chain the convenience store industry’s most prestigious honor. Few companies can match the rich tradition and deep roots Tedeschi Food Shops has planted in the convenience store industry. In business since 1923, the company’s nine decades of service in the…
Orion Food Systems Announces Promotion
Watkins says he plans to take Orion Food Systems to the “next level of foodservice success.” Hank Suerth, CEO of Orion Food Systems, announced Steve Watkins, chief financial officer, has been promoted to president of Orion Food Systems. Watkins has been a member of the Orion team for 25 years. He said he plans to…
Karl Goodhouse, CEO of Clark Brands, Passes Away
Karl Goodhouse, founder and chief executive of Clark Brands LLC has died at age 57 after a brief battle with cancer. As president and CEO, Goodhouse was responsible for the overall direction of Clark Brands over the last eight years. He took on the duties of guiding all sales and marketing efforts for Clark as…
NRF Appoints Davis SVP, Executive Director
“With her deep understanding of retail and consumer trends, her love of our industry and her strategic communications background, Ellen is the perfect candidate to re-imagine the possibilities for our Foundation,” says NRF CEO. The National Retail Federation announced today that Ellen Davis has been named senior vice president and executive director of the NRF…
Building a Strong Team
It’s been quite a year for Valerie Conley. On the heels of being named Nice N Easy Manager of The Year, she received a promotion to district manager, her former store in Carthage, N.Y. was honored as Retail Store of the Year by the Carthage Chamber of Commerce and she is about to graduate with…
Acquisitions Fuel EZ Energy’s Growth
EZ Energy USA At a Glance Headquarters: Mansfield, Ohio Stores: 92 (68 company-operated and 24 dealer-operated sites) Total Estimated Sales: $480 million Markets of Operation: northeast and central Ohio, Pittsburgh Retail Brands: ampm, Easy Trip Fuel Brands: BP, Marathon Fuel Volume: 160 million gallons annually While many marketers are struggling to ride out this economic…
Names to Remember
August is always one of my favorite issues of the year. It’s the month we get to profile convenience store “Chains to Watch” for the next 12 months. This year we’ve focused in on two outstanding chains, Stripes, a division of Susser Holdings in Corpus Christi, Texas, and EZ Energy, a rapidly growing operator based…
Here Comes the Sun
As the summer selling season hits its peak, operators must hone best practices to increase market share. Gazing through my crystal ball, I see it boldly predicts summer 2009 is going to bring some very solid sales numbers, indeed greatly increased sales for much of the country. Moreover, as you view this issue of Convenience…
You Are Known by the Company You Keep
The contacts and friends you make in this industry can become lifelong confidants. This one’s personal. As the saying goes, this is not my first rodeo, but amazingly I’ve come through with very few of life’s saddle sores. Now in my 40th year in the industry, I’ve worked for some amazing people, learned many valuable…
Simon Says: Refine Your Retail
Don Glenn and Jake Leatherman had just wrapped up three store visits to Atlas Oil customers in southern Michigan when their conversation turned from coffee to a slightly more slippery substance: petroleum. “Four dollars,” said Glenn, director of retail sales at Taylor, Mich.-based fuel distributor Atlas. “That’s where everybody’s world changed.” Leatherman, Atlas’ senior retail…