ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) has elected Dick Verona and LaFayette D. Jones III to the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame.
They will be formally inducted May 17 during NYACS' May 17 Chairman's Banquet at Greystone Castle in Canastota, N.Y. The banquet is the traditional closing event of the organization's two-day annual trade show and convention.
Dick Verona is president of Verona Oil Co. Inc., based in Roscoe, N.Y., in Sullivan County. Verona Oil was founded in 1946 by Dick's late [image-nocss] father Fred and late brother David. Dick joined the company in the 1960s and later purchased their interest. In 1973, Dick started converting gas stations to convenience stores. Today, the company operates 26 locations under the name The Country Store in Sullivan, Delaware, Ulster, Greene, Schoharie, Broome, Chenango and Otsego counties.
Verona Oil remains a family business. Dick's wife Tee is secretary, and their son Craig is CEO.
Dick served on NYACS' retail board for 12 years.
LaFayette D. Jones III is a Buffalo sales representative with Upstate Farms Cooperative Inc., serving a variety of chain and independent stores throughout Western New York.
He has been in the dairy business since 1977, working first with an independent family-owned dairy, then for Dairylea Co-op, which was acquired by Agway, which in turn sold the Syracuse division to Upstate Farms in 1993.
Owned by dairy farmers in Western New York, Upstate Farms is a food and beverage cooperative that has made dairy products since 1965, including milk, dip, ice cream mix, yogurt, flavored milk-based beverages, cottage cheese, sour cream and dip.
Jones joined NYACS during its infancy in 1986 and became a fixture at NYACS events. For many years he has served on the NYACS associate board, an advisory body of leading supplier members. He chaired that board in 1996.
Previously inducted members of the Hall of Fame are Bob Seng of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chairman Emeritus; Richard Warrender of Troy, N.Y., President Emeritus; John MacDougall of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, Canastota, N.Y.; Kevin Noon of K&K Food Marts, Brockport, N.Y.; Sherry Wright of Lorillard Tobacco Co., Syracuse, N.Y.; Kevin Fox, formerly of Sugar Creek Stores, Rochester, N.Y.; James Havice Jr., formerly of James F. Havice Inc., Lewistown, PA; Dennis Ryley, formerly with Xtra Mart Convenience Stores; Herb Sliter of HJH Associates, Diamond Point, N.Y.; John W. Bailey of Bailey Haskell & LaLonde, Canastota, N.Y.; Joe Arnold, retired from Anheuser Busch Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.; Steve Agnello, formerly with Village Marts, Webster, N.Y.; Mark Sidebottom of MWS Enterprises/Yellow Goose Markets, East Amherst, N.Y.; Dick Chase, retired from Northern Eagle Beverages, Oneonta, N.Y.; Rene Patterson of Quickway Food Marts, Sidney, N.Y.; Joseph C. Tripi II and the late Carl Tripi of Tripifoods Inc., Buffalo, N.Y.; Albert Smith of Shortstop Deli, Ithaca, N.Y.; and Don Case of Paul deLima Coffee, Syracuse, N.Y.; and Case Marshall of Pit Stop Convenience Stores, Weedsport, N.Y.
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