DALLAS --7-Eleven Inc. hit a triple in Operation: Take Command, the contest to award a U.S. military veteran a 7-Eleven store. Although the convenience-store company set up the contest so that one finalist would emerge in the last round of the competition, it has named all three finalists as winners.
Active-duty Active Duty U.S. Army Captain Robert Kemna of Miami, currently stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., Army veteran Salil Gautam of Chesapeake, Va., and U.S. Navy veteran Mark Anthony Page of Granbury, Texas, will all become business owners of their own 7-Eleven franchise.
As the last step in the almost six-month long contest, the three finalists interviewed with 7-Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto, an Army veteran himself, last week at the company's home office in Dallas. He was so impressed by the caliber of the three Operation: Take Command finalists that he made an on-the-spot executive decision.
"How can you pick just one winner when you have three?" DePinto asked. "I was extremely impressed by each one of them--for overcoming adversity, serving their country selflessly, having a heart for service and demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. These are the kind of folks we want in the 7-Eleven system. They are all too deserving not to win."
"7-Eleven is a franchise-centric company focused on how we can best support our franchisees. We are proud of our independent franchise business-owners who love Brand 7-Eleven and tirelessly serve the customers in their communities every day. I look forward to welcoming these three new franchisees to the 7-Eleven family," DePinto said.
"I couldn't believe that I had won," Gautam said. "7-Eleven already does so much for military veterans. Then they decided to give all three finalists a store, which is way above and beyond what I expected from the contest. Everyone in 7-Eleven's franchising group has helped so much in the process; it almost feels like family."
Saying winning was "unbelievable," Page said, "This is life-changing. It's very rare that you know someone who wins something big; you mainly see that on TV. As I moved through the levels of the contest, I started thinking maybe I had a chance. Seeing people from here and even other countries who didn't know me, but voted for my video on Facebook was very humbling. My wife was my biggest cheerleader. I couldn't have done it without her."
Kemna said, "Your success can depend on the people you surround yourself with. In the contest, I needed help and found it amazing that so many people were supportive. My wife edited my video from a hotel room while on a trip to Italy, and my entire family took the lead in campaigning for votes."
The veterans must now select their stores. Gautam, Kemna and Page are looking for stores near their homes--in Chesapeake, Va., South Florida and North Texas, respectively.
As contest winners, each veteran will receive a waiver of the franchise fee, valued at up to $190,000, to franchise any of the company's 7-Eleven convenience stores available in the continental United States.
More than 1,700 veterans and soon-to-be vets from all branches of military service applied for the competition that ran from Veterans Day last November through Jan. 25; 300 qualified and from those, the company selected 10 for a video competition whereby the public could vote for their favorite on social media, resulting in the three finalists chosen.
"Some of the veterans who entered but didn't win were so enthusiastic about starting their own 7-Eleven business that they already are going through the franchising process to select and acquire a store," said Greg Franks 7-Eleven franchise system vice president.
7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses nearly 10,500 7-Eleven convenience stores in North America. Globally, there are more than 55,800 7-Eleven c-stores in 16 countries. During 2013, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.5 billion.
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