There is more pressure than ever on convenience store chains to not only exceed customers’ expectations, but to stay ahead of the competition, navigate legislative issues and still be good corporate citizens in the communities they serves. This doesn’t even take into account managing operations, training and developing a strategy to grow the business.
Finding solutions for these challenging issues is the goal of the National Advisory Group’s (NAG) 2015 annual conference.
NAG is an association of small, mid-sized and family-owned chains and the executives that run them. This group convenes annually to exchange ideas with the motivation to improve their business performance. The conference has become a can’t-miss event due to our outstanding members.
The NAG conference schedule consists of top-notch speakers, retailer information exchanges, opportunities to address the burning issues within your business and the unique opportunity to get to know your peers in similar size operations.
This year we are heading to the luxurious El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, N.M. We have speakers lined up from some of the best convenience store chains in the industry, including RaceTrac, Kwik Trip, Flash Foods, Ricker’s, Wallis Oil, Road Ranger, Fabulous Freddy’s and many, many more.
I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the NAG board, which has been instrumental in helping me develop the conference’s content. The board is led by Chairman Tony Harris, president of Thorntons Inc. in Louisville, Ky.
The rest of 2015 NAG Retailer Board includes:
• Mary Banmiller, Warrenton Oil, Truesdale, Mo., Past Board Chairman
• Greg Ehrlich, Englefield Oil Co., Heath, Ohio
• Robert O’Conner, O’Conner Petroleum Co., Hales Corners, Wis.
• Joe Sucharzewski, Dion’s Quik Marts, Key West, Fla.
• Peter Tamburro, Clifford Fuel Co, Utica, N.Y.
• Joe Hamza, Tedeschi Food Shops, Rockland, Mass.
• Brent Mouton, Hit-n-Run Food Stores, Lafayette, La.
Next-Generation Leaders
While we have a strong retailer board of industry leaders, NAG aims to be so much more, specifically when it comes to helping young executives prepare for the retail challenges that lie ahead. As the convenience store and petroleum industry continues to evolve, training the next generation leaders of tomorrow is more important than ever before. NAG relaunched the Young Executives Organization (YEO) in 2012 to help young executives have a group that is solely focused on exchanging personal experiences with peers in their age group.
YEO’s mission is to cultivate young talent in the convenience store and petroleum industry through implementation of education and networking. YEO accomplishes this mission by leveraging the experience of NAG members to help foster superior leadership skills.
Last month, we completed a YEO roundtable at Family Express in Valparaiso, Ind. The Family Express team was gracious and accommodating in sharing their operations with nearly two dozen young executives. Learn more about the roundtable beginning on page 16.
NAG’s YEO is extremely focused on bringing great young talent together and giving them a platform to discuss the successes and struggles facing next-generation leaders. I commend the YEO board for their commitment to growing this important organization.
The YEO five-member Board of Directors includes:
* Chairman, Jared Sturtevant, director of marketing, Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes
* Alex Olympidis, director of operations for Family Express Corp.
* Ashley Englefield, director of marketing, Englefield Oil Co.
* Garet Bishop, business analyst, BFS Cos.
* Dana Moloney, assistant food service and marketing manager, Warrenton Oil Co.
To join NAG or learn more about our annual conference, visit www.nagconvenience.com.