ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- NATSO, the national trade association representing truckstops and travel plazas, today announced that it has named Tom Heinz, president of Heinz Inc. and Coffee Cup Fuel Stops & Convenience Stores, as its 2013 chairman of the board of directors.
Heinz, who succeeds Darrin Flitton, has served on the NATSO board and as the NATSO Foundation chairman.
Coffee Cup Fuel Stops & Convenience Stores has been an active member in the organization for more than 20 years.
NATSO also elected the following members to its 2013 board: Chad Ingram, president of Garvin Oil Co. Inc., Wagener, S.C.; Don Quinn, president of Sapp Bros. Travel Centers Inc., Omaha, Neb.; Don Paddock, president of KSG Distributing Inc., Kaysville, Utah; and Robert Lake, senior vice president of acquisitions and business development for Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Heinz takes the helm of the NATSO board at a time when the truckstop and travel plaza industry is tackling such critically important issues as the future of highway funding and rising interchange fees. State governments are seeking new ways to generate revenues for transportation infrastructure, including increasing the motor fuels taxes and tolling.
"I look forward to tackling the challenges facing our industry in an effort to help all of my fellow business owners and operators to succeed," Heinz said. "This is an exciting time in the truckstop and travel plaza industry, and I'm thrilled to serve as NATSO's chairman."
Heinz's 37-year business career has been in different segments of the petroleum industry. His primary business and day job began 31 years ago as co-founder/owner of Coffee Cup Fuel Stops.
Flitton, fleet and truckstop manager of the gold truckstop network for Sinclair Oil, now serves as chairman of NATSO's Steering Council Committee.
NATSO, founded in 1960 as the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, is the trade association of America's travel plaza and truckstop industry. It represents the industry on legislative and regulatory matters; serves as the official source of information on the industry; provides education to its members; conducts an annual convention and trade show; and supports efforts to generally improve the business climate in which its members operate.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.