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 July 2015.
People on the Move
- BHT Investments (Doublebee’s). Terry Queen has joined BHT Investments as deli and fast-food supervisor for the chain’s Doublebee’s stores. The Arkansas chain operates 28 stores and delivers fuel to another 60 sites.
- Bowden Oil. Nora Bowden has assumed the title of president of Bowden Oil, following the death of Wesley Bowden, former president, in February. The Alabama chain operates 11 stores and leases nine to other operators, in addition to delivering fuel to independent dealers.
- Casey’s General Stores Inc. Chairman and CEO Bob Myers has announced he plans to retire at the end of fiscal 2016. President and COO Terry Handley will succeed Myers at the Iowa chain with nearly 1,900 stores.
- Central Oil & Supply Co. Kathryn Reppond has been named CFO, replacing Pat Stoner, who has left the company. Central Oil operates 14 stores in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
- Family Express. Frank White has returned to Family Express as marketing category manager. The Indiana-based retailer has more than 60 stores. Prior to joining Family Express, White was retail operations director for Tri-State Petroleum.
- FAW Cos. Greg Faw, vice president of operations, is the vendor contact for the chain’s 13 Fast Track Convenience Stores in North Carolina. Former contact and executive vice president Joe Collins has retired.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. Roger Ahuja has been promoted to vice president of operations of the Oklahoma City chain of more than 300 travel centers.
- McClure Oil. Jeff Somers has joined as director of operations, a new position for the chain. McClure operates 35 stores in Indiana.
- United Pacific. Doug Hecker has joined United Pacific as vice president of marketing. Kathryn Dalton is tobacco category manager. United Oil of Gardena, Calif., acquired stores from Pacific Convenience & Fuels and changed its name to United Pacific.
In the News
- Bolla Oil Corp. opened four stores in 2015 and remodeled seven, and it is expanding its selection of protein bars and energy drinks. The chain owns and operates 50 stores in New York and distributes fuel to 33 dealer sites.
- Central Oil & Supply Co. has rebranded its stores as Central Station. The 14 convenience stores in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas formerly were branded Harde’ Mart.
- CST Brands has added Phillips 66 to its fuel portfolio. The San Antonio chain has nearly 2,000 stores across the country.
- Landmark Industries is rebuilding several stores in an expanded format of 5,000 square feet, with two or three scheduled to reopen this year. The Texas chain operates more than 200 stores branded Timewise in and around Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Landmark acquired some large sites with small stores, giving the chain room to rebuild and add fuel pumps. Landmark also sold about 20 stores to CST Brands.
- Tennessee-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has announced two new ventures in 2015: Love’s Hospitality and Love’s Storage Solutions. Love’s opened two hotels in Texas and one in Florida under Love’s Hospitality, and two self-storage facilities in Texas under Love’s Storage Solutions. Plans are to open six more storage facilities within the next few years.
- Max Arnold & Sons LLC is rebranding stores as Max’s Convenience Shop as the chain continues to refocus around foodservice. Some stores remain branded MaxFuel Express. The Kentucky-based company operates 22 stores in Kentucky and Tennessee.
- Olson Oil Co. is opening a new Get N Go store in Sioux Falls, S.D., this summer, bringing its store count to 20. The new site is scheduled for completion in August.
- QuickChek Corp. used its 23rd annual hot-air balloon festival July 25-27 to announce a large-scale Q Cafe coffee program rollout. The chain is expanding the program, which features almost 40 varieties of handcrafted drinks, such as cappuccinos, smoothies and frozen chocolate treats. QuickChek has 141 stores in New Jersey and New York.
- R.L. Jordan plans to add three new HotSpot stores this year. The South Carolina-based chain operates 44 stores in North and South Carolina.
- Michigan-based Schmuckal Oil Co. has opened its own commissary and is working with S. Abraham and Sons to start a foodservice program. The chain operates 26 stores and is considering adding local produce and more organic salty snacks.
- Weigel’s Farm Stores Inc. opened two new stores in June, both featuring the chain’s newest foodservice concept, Weigel’s Kitchen. The chain has more than 60 stores in Tennessee, mostly around Knoxville.
- Workman Oil of Virginia has sold all of its Apple Market stores to a new company, Fuel USA LLC. The stores are the first acquisition for Fuel USA, and employees and headquarters staff have been retained.
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