Five years ago, I drove to LaPlata, Maryland, to meet with the new leadership team at Dash In, a midsize retail network owned by The Wills Group.
The Wills family date their entrepreneurial spirit to nearly 100 years ago in the United States, and like many in the convenience-store channel, they embraced fuel wholesaling decades before venturing into retailing. It then launched its Dash In retail platform 42 years ago, and, truth be told, until relatively recently, the retail side was solid but hardy exceptional.
When I met with Julian “Blackie” Wills III, he was fresh in his role as executive vice president of the company’s c-store business. He understood that there was work to be done. “I know we have a lot to do before we can even consider ourselves good,” he said with noticeable humility.
Our meeting was confidential at the time. Blackie and team shared an ambitious five-year vision and schematics of a new store concept that was visually striking but costly, and one I thought would be hard to sustain.
When he asked for my opinion, I half-kiddingly said, “Have you considered selling the retail side of your business?” Dash In’s markets butt-up against three super-elites: Sheetz, Wawa and Royal Farms. One alone would be formidable competition.
Luckily, Blackie didn’t take me seriously.
- Dash In is No. 130 in CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by total number of company-owned retail outlets.
We’re now in 2023, and Blackie was just named president and CEO of the family business. During his tenure, Dash In has recruited an impressive array of talent across technology, merchandising, marketing, talent/HR and, increasingly so, at the store level. The company also has rolled out an impressive foodservice operation, and earlier this year, introduced what I believe is one of the best store designs unveiled in the past decade.
In a cycle of significant consolidation and families eyeing exit strategies, Blackie and the Wills family are one of my favorite success stories. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy than Blackie.
Congrats, Blackie, on the new role!