LOS ANGELES -- Two years after rising from convenience-store industry startup to established retail network, United Pacific has grown through acquisition into a chain of close to 400 company-operated and fee-run c-stores across the West Coast and Rockies, with aspirations to exceed 1,000 stores by the end of the decade.
In February, CSP magazine published an exclusive feature about United Pacific’s rapid ascent. The story included observations made by United Pacific executives on last year’s acquisition of the 251-store Pacific Convenience & Fuels, the Pleasanton, Calif.-based operation led by Sam Hirbod.
Hirbod disputed some of the characterizations attributed to United Pacific in the article. The disagreement promoted dialogue between Hirbod and United Pacific.
In response, Los Angeles-based United Pacific shared the following clarification with CSPDaily News.
“An article titled ‘United Front’ published in the February 2016 edition of CSP magazine contained a number of statements that were attributed to the new management team at United Pacific concerning Pacific Convenience & Fuels (PC&F) and its former president and chief executive officer Sam Hirbod that misrepresented our views concerning PC&F’s performance and financial strength under the leadership of Mr. Hirbod and may have left readers with the wrong impression.
“United Pacific wishes to correct the record. United Pacific is not aware, as some of the statements in the article suggested, that PC&F was in ‘turmoil,’ nor that PC&F 'struggled' (financially or otherwise), prior to its acquisition by United Pacific. We regret that the statements in the article attributed to United Pacific created the impression that PC&F was performing poorly or mismanaged or that financial performance suffered under Mr. Hirbod’s leadership. To the contrary, United Pacific believes that Mr. Hirbod was an effective executive whose innovative strategies and forward-thinking leadership enhanced the financial and market position of PC&F during his tenure, increasing both EBITDA and profitability, and creating a highly attractive target for acquisition. United Pacific holds Mr. Hirbod in high regard and has a great deal of respect for what he accomplished at PC&F.
“We at United Pacific thank CSP magazine for providing us the opportunity to correct any misimpressions arising out of statements that were attributed to us in the article.”
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