MESA, Ariz. --The staff of CSPedia, Winsight's online encyclopedia of convenience-store chains, gathers news and insights and updates the listings for the nearly 500 retailers in its database on a daily basis. CSPedia delivers a monthly summary of these reports, often news not yet announced publicly, to its subscribers.
Here is a collection of some of the news and people updates from February 2016.
People on the Move
- Alimentation Couche-Tard. Claude Tessier has been named chief financial officer of Alimentation Couche-Tard. Tessier previously was with Canadian grocer Sobeys Inc. as president of the IGA operations business unit. The Canadian company has more than 8,000 stores in North America and franchises around the world, all branded or to be branded Circle K.
- Certified Oil. Dave Hogan, former controller, has retired. Paul Demboski, senior vice president, has assumed duties as CFO. Tim Wheeler, former foodservice director, is no longer with the company. A replacement has not been named. The Ohio company operates 80 stores.
- CST Brands Inc.Jenny Bullard has been name director of technology innovation for the San Antonio-based company. She previously was IT director for Flash Foods, a chain of more than 160 stores, which was acquired by CST Brands.
- CrossAmerica Partners. After a year of transition since Erickson Oil stores were sold to CrossAmerica Partners, senior vice president Darren Forbes left the company earlier this month. Peter McClure has joined CrossAmerica as merchandising manager. CrossAmerica owns stores and distributes fuel, but the sites it owns are operated by others, including CST Brands.
- Eskimo Hut Ltd. Alexis Lauritzen has been named marketing manager and is the vendor contact for the chain of 30 drive-thru stores in Texas. Eskimo Hut stores are known for selling frozen daiquiris and margaritas at the drive-thru, as well as many traditional c- store items.
- High’s of Baltimore. John Phelps has been named president of the Baltimore company, with two directors managing day-to-day operations for the 48-store chain: David Worrell, operations, and Steve Thrush, sales and marketing.
- Midwest Petroleum Co. Don McNutt has assumed the title of president and CEO after the departure of Chris Kenth. The chain operates more than 50 stores and one truck plaza in Illinois and Missouri and services additional dealer sites.
- Royal Farms. Dallas Wells Sr. has been named director of food and beverage for the Maryland chain that operates more than 160 stores in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Justin Miklos is no longer with the company.
- Schnuck Markets Inc. Laura Freeman has joined as chief people officer, overseeing all aspects of human resources for the grocery store chain, with stores in Illinois and Missouri. The company also operates Schnucks Express fueling centers.
- Thorntons Inc. Ashley Heishman has joined Thorntons’ category management team as senior brand manager for dispensed beverages. She replaces Megan Mahan, who left the company. The Louisville, Ky., chain operates 182 stores in six states: Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee.
In the News
- With stores in the Northwest, Emanuel Inc. has expanded its popular fried catfish program to five more locations. A store in Seattle was the first to offer fresh catfish fried on site. The chain operates 14 ampm and Shell sites in the state of Washington, in and around Puget Sound.
- Eskimo Hut Ltd. has grown by three sites and plans to add three more in 2016. All new locations will be franchised. The Houston-based chain known for selling frozen margaritas and daiquiris at a drive-thru has 30 sites throughout Texas.
- On the heels of opening its first store in a college town, near Purdue University, in 2015, Family Express has plans for a new store near Valparaiso University this year. The chain operates 65 stores, all in Indiana.
- Flyers Energy LLC has completed the acquisition of Chevron lubricants distributor RE Goodspeed & Sons Distributing of Hesperia, Calif. The acquisition allows Flyers to expand its lubricants business in the high desert. Continuing its growth, this is Flyers’ fifth acquisition in about two years. The company also operates 41 c-stores.
- GPM Investments has boosted its store count again, with the acquisition of 65 Apple Market Stores and 21 Gas-Mart USA sites expected to close soon. The chain, based in Richmond, Va., will surpass 800 company-owned and -operated stores. Of the 65 Apple Market Stores, 13 are dealer sites.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has purchased Trillium CNG, a provider of compressed natural gas. The Oklahoma chain of nearly 400 travel stops throughout the county plans to add CNG fuel at about 40 sites in 2016.
- Midway Oil Corp., operator of 18 stores and gas stations in New York and Vermont, has been added to CSPedia. The chain plans to add two new stores and a touchless car wash in 2016. The chain also plans to develop and expand the Tenney Brook Markets brand to more of its sites, most of which are named by the fuel brand.
- Midwest Petroleum Co. of St. Louis has added a customer loyalty program called Fastback Rewards, good toward free in-store offers and fuel discounts. Midwest operates 53 stores.
- Pit Stop Convenience Stores of Weedsport, N.Y., has added a new restaurant concept at one of its 18 locations. The QSR is called Quesaritos Mexican Grill, serving frozen margaritas and lemonade, burritos and burrito bowls, nachos and spicy salads.
- Ohio-based Speedway LLC has announced that all 1,200 Hess properties it acquired in 2014 have been converted to Speedway sites. The conversion is finished well ahead of the initial three-year schedule outlined by the company. Speedway now operates nearly 3,000 stores.
- State Oil Co., primarily a fuel distributor in Illinois, also operates, leases, buys and sells convenience stores. The company is new in CSPedia.
- Waterway Car Wash is a Missouri-based chain of 20 car washes with convenience stores and fuel, operating in St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Cleveland and Chicago. The chain is new in CSPedia.
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