Convenience-store veteran Ryan Speakes has joined grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash as vice president of fuel centers and convenience stores, a newly created position.
- SpartanNash Convenience Division is No. 168 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of the largest U.S. c-store chains by number of company-owned retail outlets.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based SpartanNash said that Speakes is charged with providing leadership, strategic and operational plans for the company’s 37 fuel centers. Most of SpartanNash’s fuel stations include a convenience store, under such banners as Family Fare Quick Stop and D&W Quick Stop and are co-located with company-owned-and-operated grocery stores, which total 147 locations in nine Midwestern states.
As part of his role, Speakes also will perform a key duty that will benefit fuel center customers: managing the rising cost of fuel.
“The c-store market is growing globally, and SpartanNash sees tremendous opportunity to bring new innovations to this segment of our retail business,” Tom Swanson, executive vice president of corporate retail at SpartanNash, said. “Having served in a variety of leadership positions in the fuel center and c-store industry, Ryan brings valuable expertise that we are excited to tap into at SpartanNash.”
Speakes comes to SpartanNash from 7-Eleven Inc., Irving, Texas, where he most recently served as market leader of operations in a nearly two-year stint.
Before 7-Eleven, he spent 15 years at c-store chain Speedway, which 7-Eleven acquired in May 2021. At Speedway, he rose from district manager to regional manager and to regional leader of operations.
The addition of Speakes comes amid SpartanNash’s consolidation of about a dozen retail grocery banners to four: Family Fare (conventional supermarkets), Martin’s Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market (upmarket grocery stores), and Supermercado Nuestra Familia (Hispanic grocery stores). The company operates stores in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
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