WWW.NATS O.

C O M

J U LY/AU G U ST 2 01 5

THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF NATSO, REPRESENTING THE

TRUCKSTOP AND TRAVEL PLAZA INDUSTRY

POLITICS
AND
PIE
AT NATSO'S DAY ON

THE

TRENDS
ISSUE

CAPITOL HILL 2015

The Truckstop of the Future

Truckstop and Travel Plaza
Operators Find Ways to
Boost Food Service
Five Factors Affecting the
Future of Freight Movement

CHAIRMANS LETTER

Navigating the Norms

B
TOM HEINZ
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

eing a successful business owner

typically means operating within a
certain set of norms. That certainly
seems easy enough, but the challenge is
that norms and the trends they are linked
with can be ambiguous.
On the surface, the definition seems
quite simple. Psychologist Francesca
Canian said, Norms are interpreted as
shared conceptions about what identities or roles exist and what actions and
attributes define a person as a member
in good standing with a particular rank.
Norms are ubiquitous in life. Every
time we enter a room, open our mouths
to speak, walk down the street or conduct
a meeting, norms are in play. Without
norms, it is doubtful that there could be
such a thing as a free market economy or
democratic politics or indeed society as
we know it.
For business owners, evaluating the
norms can be complex. We find ourselves not only asking what the norms
and meaningful trends are, but also
how theyre measured and how long
must they be measured to be meaningful. Norms span all aspects of our operations. What are normalized interest
rates? What are normalized margins?
What are normalized sales?

STRATEGICALLY, THE TRENDS AND NORMS THAT

DRIVE OUR DECISION MAKING AT COFFEE CUP FUEL
STOPS ARE THE INTEREST RATE ON THE TEN-YEAR U.S.
TREASURY AND TEN-YEAR GERMAN AND JAPANESE
BONDS; THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR VERSUS THE
EURO; LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
POLICIES; TECHNOLOGY TRENDS APPLICABLE TO OUR
BUSINESS; AND CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS, WHICH
ARE ALL FUTURE DEMAND INDICATORS.

EXAMINING HISTORICAL DATA on crude prices

reveals that real oil prices are presently low if we

look at the last few years but not if we look at a
longer-term horizon.

However, norms can be mysterious

beasts. David Nelson, a director of
several industry study groups, said, I
think of normalize as reverting to the
mean. He added that normal weather
would be average weather for the time
of year it is being reported on while the
normal or natural rate of unemployment is the long-term average rate of
unemployment, which averages 5 to 6
percent in the U.S.
Nelson said normal interest rates
would be something like the rate of inflation (or anticipated inflation) + the
real rate of interest, which is around 3
percent for low risk. Crude prices are
trickier but looking at the inflationadjusted real price over time would give
some idea of whether the real price of oil
is higher or lower relative to historical
norms. [See chart above].
New norms emerge when fundamental circumstances are permanently, as
opposed to temporarily, altered. Its often argued that all trends revert back to
a norm, and staying current on trends
and peeling back the layers involved in

www.natso.com

Norms are interpreted as shared conceptions about what identities or roles exist
and what actions and attributes define a person as a member in good standing with a
particular rank.
Psychologist Francesca Canian

them is crucial to meeting our customers needs.

When examining what might be a
new norm, I often think of a quote
from Benjamin Disraeli (1804
1881): There are three kinds of
lies: lies, damned lies and statistics,
he said.
Ultimately, norms are guidelines
or expectations that are constantly
changing, so we must be vigilant in
asking three questions: Is this a new

norm? Who declared this a norm?

What normalization methodology
was used?
Best regards,

Tom Heinz
Coffee Cup Fuel Stops & Convenience Stores, Inc.
NATSO 2015 Chairman

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WWW.NATSO.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2015

THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF NATSO, REPRESENTING THE TRUCKSTOP AND TRAVEL PLAZA INDUSTRY

THE

TRENDS
ISSUE

C OVE R STO RY
11 P olitics and Pie at
NATSO's Day on
Capitol Hill 2015

FEATU R E S
08
THE TRUCKSTOP
OF THE FUTURE

11

DAY ON
CAPITOL HILL

Chairman
Tom Heinz

Editor
Amy Toner

President & CEO

Lisa J. Mullings

Associate Editor
Mindy Long

12

TRUCKSTOP AND
TRAVEL PLAZA
OPERATORS FIND
WAYS TO BOOST
FOOD SERVICE

Stop Watch is published bimonthly by the NATSO Foundation,

1330 Braddock Place, Suite 501, Alexandria, VA 22314
Copyright 2015 by the NATSO Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Stop Watch, 1330 Braddock Place,
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16

NATSO CHAIRMAN'S
CIRCLE MEMBERS

D E PARTM E NTS
03
Chairman's Letter
NAVIGATING THE NORMS

06

Great Ideas!
THREE FOOD TRENDS
THAT BOOST SALES
CHOICE IS KEY

18

22

FIVE FACTORS
AFFECTING THE
FUTURE OF FREIGHT
MOVEMENT

20

Foundation Update
CUSTOMIZATION +
VARIETY = THE FUTURE
OF BEVERAGE SALES

25

Member Profile
COOKIES AND RICE
CRISPIES AT PINE CONE
TRAVEL PLAZA

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have comments, ideas or suggestions? Dont hesitate to contact us.

The NATSO Foundation
1330 Braddock Place, Suite 501, Alexandria, VA 22314
Email: editor@natso.com / Phone: (703) 549-2100
http://www.facebook.com/NATSOInc / www.natso.com

WRITTEN PLANS
HELP TRUCKSTOP
AND TRAVEL PLAZA
OPERATORS PREPARE
FOR THE FUTURE

26

Great Ideas in Action

DONNAS TRAVEL CENTER

DARRENS GREAT
Darren Schulte, NATSOs vice president of membership and a retail expert, writes a biweekly retail column on NATSOs
blog. We feature the best here in Stop Watch magazine. Join Schulte on NATSOs website at www.natso.com/great-ideas
to read his digestible retail tips every other Thursday.

THREE FOOD TRENDS THAT BOOST SALES

Food service remains one of the few

mega growth categories left in our industry. Although some locations continue to see dine-in growth, overall
grab-n-go offerings are hot and knowing which products to offer when can
help spur sales. Locations can select
and refine their offerings based on their
key customer demographic and industry trends. Consider these three current
trends to help boost food sales.

OFFER ETHNIC FOODS

Not only are ethnic foods a way for

operators to appeal to certain demographics, but they can also appeal to
consumers across the board. For example, Hispanic offerings such as burritos, tamales and tostadas have wide
appeal. Japanese soy beans or edamame have become staples in many
non-Asian food establishments and
stores. To help gauge what to offer,

July/August 2015

operators can look at their over-theroad owner-operator demographics.

If you see a growing trend, take some
time out to speak to the over-the-road
drivers about what they are searching
for in food offerings then turn around
and SPEAK to them with your food
product offerings.

PROVIDE HEALTHY CHOICES

Todays consumers are asking for

healthier options, and operators are
responding by offering fresh foods in
their hotboxes and deli reach-in coolers. Yogurts, fresh fruit, vegetables
and cheeses are prime examples.
To maximize this category, operators
can also strategically place healthy
fare around their deli, coffee and
fountain drink areas in addition to the
transaction counter. Making a statement that youre in the healthy choice
business is essential. However just

placing a basket of fruit on the counter, while it is a start, is not being in

the business.

CONSIDER CONSUMERS RENEWED INTEREST

IN FRIED FOODS

While fresh food is all of the rage,

fried foods remain a menu staple and
recent studies continue to show an
increase in the fried foods consumers are eating. Consumers may say
they want healthy and organic foods,
but a Technomic report found that 91
percent of consumers said they eat a
burger at least once a month and 44
percent have a burger at least once
a week. In addition to burgers, brats
and sausages continue to drive sales
among core convenience store customers. Locations may also want to
consider adding items such as turkey
wings, gizzards and egg rolls to their
offerings.

HAVE A RETAIL MERCHANDISING, MARKETING OR OPERATIONS QUESTION? Reach out to Schulte

at dschulte@natso.com or (703) 739-8562 and hell answer your question in the next
Darrens Great Ideas! for Independent Operators.

CHOICE IS KEY

At the DAS Travel Show this spring, I

shared more than 60 great ideas Ive
seen in the over 300 independent
truckstops Ive visited in the last five
years. I shared pictures and stories of
what operators are doing to set themselves apart from their competition.
One topic that ran through the presentation was food service. Ive written about it many times, but it bears
repeatingfood service is becoming a
more and more important component
of the sales picture at truckstops and
travel plazas. Todays customers are
demanding greater quality and convenience in the food they purchase,
and smart operators are capitalizing
on this demand.
Here are just a few of the great ideas
in food service Ive seen recently.

MAPCO EXPRESS, BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE

Im seeing more and more truckstops

capitalize on the craft beer trend [see
more on page 20]. Mapco Express for
example has a growler program. Growlers are large re-sealable, reusable beer
bottlesusually somewhere around a
half-gallon to gallonthat you can fill
with whatever style of beer available at
the "filling station." The jugs are reminiscent of old whisky jugs. At this location, the customers have six choices of
craft styles of draft beer. They can bring
in their own jugs or purchase one at the
location. This Mapco Express has a lot
of locals, so the growlers program really works for them.

INTERNATIONAL STUDY TOUR, NORWAY

Fresh food especially is on trend right

now, but it doesnt have to be 100

percent fresh. At one retailer that we

visited in Norway during the International Study Tour, the location takes
premade sandwiches and adds freshly
sliced tomatoes. They sell it for twice as
much as premade sandwich. Take note:
Open the box, undo the wrapper and
add something fresh. Read more about
www.natso.com/internationalfreshfood.

NOCO EXPRESS, TONAWANDA, NEW YORK

I dont always encourage truckstops

to add fresh grocery items, but I do
if they have the right customers.
NOCO Express, for example, has a
lot of Hispanic customers who like
the fresh lettuce, tomatoes, etc. They
have seen great sales with this fresh
produce display.
Download the slides and see more
ideas at www.natso.com/foodideas.

www.natso.com

BY MINDY LONG

TRUCKSTOP

of the

FUTURE
To stay relevant, businesses
have to change as their
customers change. New
innovations can drive sales
and create convenience, and
the truckstops and travel
plazas of the future will
embrace improvements that
will enhance the customers
experience. Some early
adopters are all ready
rolling out technology
and new designs that may
eventually become the norm.

GAS

PURCHASING AT THE PUMP

Time is becoming a more important factor for professional and four-wheel
drivers alike. To help speed them on their way, a number of companies are
developing technology that will allow customers to purchase food at the pump.
Vendgogh has developed a vending machine that integrates with a stores pointof-sale system. Customers can pay for beverages at the same time they pay for fuel
at the pump and pick them up from a vending machine adjacent to the pump.
The machines are already in use at some Kangaroo Xpress, Murphy USA and
Wilsons Gas Stops locations.
Darren Schulte, vice president of membership for NATSO, said, I think eventually youll see some type of a bell hop situation where the driver can order his
food right at the pump and the food will be brought out to him. We are already
seeing Wawa and Sheetz doing it for cars.
If youre a truckstop today and you have people on the islands already, how
hard would it be to turn that person into an order taker? You now have a way to
give a driver something to eat. Trucks dont have a drive through, Schulte said.

DRIVERS STAYING IN THE CAB

As technology has improved, drivers have been able to take care of more and
more business from the cab. Drivers no longer have to leave the truck to make
phone calls, watch television or send a fax. In the future, drivers may have
even fewer reasons to leave the truck, which means truckstops and travel plaza
operators will have to continue to find ways to compel drivers to come inside.

INCREASED FOOD SALES

Food service sales, particularly of grab-and-go items, are becoming a larger part of
a locations overall revenue. Learn more on page 12.
8

July/August 2015

FOOD

DRIVE-THROUGH LANES
As customers look for even greater convenience, the number of drive-through
locations at truckstops and travel plazas is likely to increase. NATSO member Jack Grewal, president of Grewal Brothers Corp., recently opened a
drive through for four-wheel customers at the companys location in Paulding, Ohio. Since it opened, a steady stream of customers has been coming
through, Grewal said.
Customers can purchase anything at the drive through that is for sale in
the store, be it a gallon of milk or a case of beer. Beer and pop are the most
popular, but our overall sales are doing pretty good, especially in the winter
time because people dont want to get out of their cars, Grewal said, adding
that the drive through has one dedicated employee.

DRIVE-THROUGH SCALES
The Weigh My Truck app from CAT Scale Co., based in Walcott, Iowa, lets
drivers visit a scale, weigh and receive their information without ever having
to open their door, roll down their window or get out of the truck. Drivers
receive a copy of their ticket via email or access it online for six months. Drivers can also set their preferences, so a weight ticket is automatically sent to
someone at their company.

A GROWING NUMBER
OF OPERATORS ARE
TURNING TO REALTIME INFORMATION TO
HELP THEM IMPROVE
THEIR PRODUCT MIX
AND THEIR OVERALL
ATMOSPHERE.

LARGER BEVERAGE SELECTION

The drinks drivers are purchasing at truckstops and travel plazas has grown beyond a traditional cup-of-joe or a soda. Today, sales of energy drinks, teas and
custom coffees have exploded and those within the industry said beverage choices
are going to continue to improve. Learn more on page 20.

www.natso.com

ONCE CUSTOMERS ARE

THROUGH THE DOOR,
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
THEY CAN FIND WHAT
THEY WANT QUICKLY
AND EASILY."

WELCOME

EASY TO NAVIGATE LAYOUTS

REAL-TIME FEEDBACK

To draw customers in from the pump,

locations have to be clean, safe and welcoming. Once customers are through
the door, it is important that they can
find what they want quickly and easily.
Chuck White, vice president of brands
and marketing for DAS, said the average c-store customer spends 140 seconds shopping. Retailers must make it
easier for customers to find their way,
and more intuitively place the right
products in the right place along the
consumers' path-to-purchase, White
said. It is clean sightlines and aisles
and the use of way-finding signage
whether it is color coded or is the same
shape with the same boxthat allows
people to use their senses to get to the
right place faster. The drugstore CVS
has a color-coded way finding system.
It is adapting benchmarks across our
shopping life and bringing them into a
travel center.

A growing number of operators are turning to real-time information to help

them improve their product mix and their overall atmosphere.
To ensure their restrooms are always in order, Coffee Cup Fuel Stops is rolling out surveys via iPads placed near the restrooms so customers can rate the
restrooms and alert managers if a restroom needs service.
Gilbarco Veeder-Root has created a survey at the pump that allows business
owners to learn more about their customers through the Applause TV with
VNET system. Greg Erwin, vice president of Erwin Oil, recently tested the
systems and used the surveys to ask customers about everything from their favorite coffee flavor to their favorite NCAA team. In return, customers received
coupons. By targeting Millennials with this feature, we were able to grow
sales on targeted products, he said.

CUSTOMER INTERACTION VIA AN APP

More and more customers are using smart phones,
and businesses are finding ways to use apps to
improve their customers shopping experience.
WaWa recently launched its mobile app. Customers can use the app to make mobile payments or
pay with a Wawa gift card. They can also find a
local Wawa, check fuel prices, view nutrition information and track their loyalty points.
10

July/August 2015

Politics
AT NATSO'S DAY ON
and Pie CAPITOL HILL 2015
members made their annual pilgrimage to Capitol Hill
May 1113, meeting with Senators and Members of
Congress to voice how vitally important the truckstop and travel plaza
industry is to the national economy and how Congressional votes affect
its ability to thrive.
Nearly 50 NATSO members met with their elected officials to discuss
such critically important issues as the need for a long-term highway bill
funded by the federal motor fuels tax and to oppose expanded
tolling and rest area activities.
NATSO members attended a luncheon with guest speaker
Neil Chatterjee, a senior policy advisor to Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

NATSO

1. Tuesday evening NATSO hosted its annual

Capitol Hill pie reception, serving nearly 250 pies to
legislators and their staff.
2. Fred Jubitz, Jubitz Travel Center, Tom Heinz, Coffee
Cup Fuel Stops & Convenience Stores, Inc. and Michael
Lawshe meet with Rep. Peter Defazio (D-Ore.).
3. Bob Wollenman, Deluxe Truck Stop and Joel
Hamilton, Joplin 44 Petro meet with J.P. Morgan
of Rep. Sam Graves' (R-Mo.) office.
4. Several attendees stopped for a photo
in front of the Capitol on the way to their
legislative visits.

www.natso.com

11

TRUCKSTOP AND

TRAVEL PLAZA

OPERATORS

Find Ways to Boost

Food Service

12

July/August 2015

TREND

BY MINDY LONG

Food service is becoming a more important component of the overall sales at truckstops
and travel plazas, and todays customers are demanding greater quality and convenience
in the food they purchase. To be successful in food service, operators need to look at
several aspects of their business, including their current offerings, their current customer
demographics, and the wants and needs of customers they hope to capture.

ruckers stop two to four times

other than when they are fueling. Capturing those stops
can bring the highest profitability
for independents, said Jim Fisher,
founder and chief executive officer of
the market research firm IMST Corp.

EVALUATING EXISTING OFFERINGS

The first step to growing a food service program is for truckstop and
travel plaza operators to understand
the success of their current food programs, said Darren Schulte, vice president of membership for NATSO. To
do that, operators should compare
fuel gallon sales to food service sales.
Are the customers that are fueling with you coming inside and eating with you? Make a connection
so you understand what a customer
means to your inside, Schulte said,
adding that operators can compare
fuel sales to coffee, grab-and-go or
full-service restaurant sales.
Schulte said that locations vary, so
there is no right number when it
comes to the ratio of fuel and food service purchases. Simply having a number gives operators a place to start.
Once you have it, start examining it
as you make changes, Schulte said.

Even programs that are doing well

should consider how theyre going to
transform in the future. The food service industry is all about change and
what is current and what is hip, said
Michael Lawshe, president of Paragon
Solutions. You have to be evolving.
Because there are so many aspects
to a food service program, knowing where to make changes can be
challenging.
Lawshe said that often times, operators dont know exactly where to start.
They say, Maybe Ill make it pretty
or change the booths or add chicken.
There are a lot of maybes, and the
challenge is to do away with what is
easiest and what is most convenient
and do the work to determine what is
best for your location, he said.
Before operators can determine
how theyre going to grow their food
service, they need to have a good
understanding of what they want to
accomplish and whether or not they
can commit to it, Fisher said.
Understand within your organization if youre capable of handling
a strong food service program or if
youd be best served to go the franchise route or go the lease route,
Fisher said. The first step is to take
www.natso.com

13

a hard-core analysis of your organization and establish if you can do this

and do it successfully.

UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER

Lawshe said growing food service
always comes back to who the customer is. You want to understand
who your customer is today and
what your customer base could be,
he said, adding that data is the key
to understanding existing and potential customers along with how their
needs are changing.
Among professional drivers, speed
has become more important as hoursof-service regulations have changed.
Michael Ouimet, president of Oiumet
Resources, which operates travel center
restaurants in 11 states and provides
consulting work, said that, on average,
a long-haul, regular route trucker is
only eating one full-service meal every
other day. Fifteen years ago that was
two full-service meals a day, he said.
Not only are todays drivers pressed
for time, the younger generations have
grown up with quick-serve brands.
For that generation, if they werent
eating fast food three or four times a
week, it was unusual, Ouimet said.
In addition to looking at existing
sales, operators should ask fuel customers where they are buying their
inside purchases, Fisher said. I
14

July/August 2015

think retailers should be constantly

surveying their customers, he said.
Getting customer feedback is
critical, but that only gives you insight into the existing customer,
Lawshe said.
To help understand customers,
Lawshe often obtains studies from
IMST or other groups that do statistical analysis. There are so many layers that you can dig deeper into, he
said. Often times it will say there are
preferences toward this type of food
Mexican or pizzaand this demographic is in the area.
Fisher said, There is data out
there that takes the buying habits of
the residents and locals and shows
where theyre spending their money.
We will also do a study that shows
within trade areas with similar characteristics to this trade area, on a
national basis, where consumers
are spending their dollarspizza,
chicken, sandwiches.
Rather than take a build it and
they will come approach, Fisher said
locations should cater to the demographic. Trade areas dictate what
will be sold, he said, adding that
trade areas are constantly changing.
After 10 years, the trade area you
built to serve is very different and you
better be adjusting, too.
Lawshe said examining potential
customers is important for future
growth. It isnt just who youre getting today, it is who you are missing
today that you have to find, Lawshe said. Once you understand that
profile, you can look operationally at
a whole series of questions.

TRACKING CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS

Across the board, the current trend is
toward freshly prepared, quality food.
Years ago drivers who were surveyed
would tell you they were eating better,

but then theyd go and buy the double

cheeseburger in the restaurant. There
is a group now that is going to encourage all of us to step up our game on
freshness and flavor, Ouimet said. I
think that locations that have really
good full-service restaurants are going
to get a little bit of a bump because
the guys who are eating that one fullservice meal are looking for something
real and homemade. Theyre looking
for something special.
Fisher said that in recent years, fast
food chains, such as Wendys, McDonalds and Burger King, have lost
their edge. McDonalds reported an
11 percent decrease in revenue and
a 30 percent drop in profits for the
first three months of year. The chain
also announced that it had closed
350 poorly performing stores in Japan, the United States and China in
the first three months of 2015, and
Fisher said this type of performance
is creating opportunities for truckstop and travel plaza operators.
Ouimet said he is seeing sales of
healthy grab-and-go items increase.
Salads, fresh fruits and vegetables,
hard boiled eggs and deviled eggs are
flying out of his grab-and-go cases.
Sapp Bros. Travel Centers has seen
its food sales increase, particularly in
the grab-and-go arena. Sapp Bros.
operates a proprietary restaurant,
Apple Barrel, at six travel centers.
We have quality ingredients and are
proud of what we serve. When we
talked about how that translates into
grab and go, we wanted that quality
to carry over, said Jeff Ryan, director of merchandising for Sapp Bros.
Sapp Bros. began preparing and
packaging grab-and-go foods in its
restaurant that it could offer in its cstores. We do hot meals along with
sandwiches and salads and yogurts,
Ryan said. The grab and go con-

tinues to sell very well and increases

month over month continuously.
Whats more, the grab-and-go sales
havent led to a decrease in restaurant
sales, Ryan said. It is all incremental sales. There are two different customer basesone that has time to sit
down and enjoy a meal with us and
one who wants a quality meal and
doesnt have time to sit down and enjoy it, he said.
Ryan said the hot to-go specials
depend on the daily special in the
restaurant. We prepare the same
special of the day and put them in
to-go packages where the products
are labeled and clearly seen and available on the self-serve hot cases, he
said, adding that they take the same
meal, chill it and sell it cold in the cstore for drivers to re-heat later.
The restaurant also prepares desserts
to go. It seems like even the customers who want to eat healthy five days a
week want to indulge every once in a
while. It is human nature, Ryan said.
When it comes to packaging food,
Ryan said Sapp Bros. uses clear containers and labels, which are important so customers know what theyre
getting and when it was prepared. It
builds confidence within that transaction, he said. We concentrate
on freshness and early on we said we
wouldnt worry about waste but focus
on providing freshness.
Unfortunately, shrink is simply
part of doing business within the
fresh category. Ryan said, Over
time, if you always provide fresh
products, your self-branding builds
and sales grow. As your sales build,
the waste goes down.
Fisher said, People are afraid of
shrink, but it becomes a part of doing business. To offer fresh, if it says
use by such and such, get rid of it

after that. If it says 12:20 and it is

12:30, dump it.
Fisher added that proprietary programs, such as Sapp Bros., hold the
most potential for profits. Ouimet said
that one challenge for independent
operators has been that they havent always documented their programs.
You might have Betty Lou who
makes great sandwiches and is doing great, but then Betty Lou leaves
and the program dies. More operators are starting to put together
more documentation because they
realize the program is only as good
as the documentation that goes with
it, he said.

OPTIMIZING OFFERINGS
Schulte said once operators understand who their customers are and
what they want, they can consider
making over their menus.
But evolving doesnt mean simply adding to the menu. People
in our industry tend to let their
menu grow, but they dont cut anything. For everything you add to the
menu, you probably should be taking something off, Lawshe said.
Fisher said, You have to evaluate
and say, Is this still a viable product
to have?
To make the most of their menus,
Schulte recommends operators look
at customization rather than growing their SKU counts. It is the 80-20
rule. Figure out the 20 percent of the
products in the food service that you
sell the most of and expand on those,
Schulte said. You can focus on your
chili and put chili on Fritos or
hot dogs or spaghetti. It is the
customization that matters.
[Customization is also important in a locations beverage
offering. See related story
page 20].

In some cases, remaining successful

means finding a new way to take on
a traditional offering. Our industry
loves the full breakfast and all that it
entails, but there are many ways to do
that, Lawshe said.
Instead of having wait staff take
orders, operators could have customers order at the counter, then have
the food delivered to the table. It is
more like the Panera Bread model
you go through the line, you have a
full menu, you order and then they
bring it to you. There are a lot of efficiencies in doing that, Lawshe said.

TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH

While the food and presentation within a food service area is a primary driver of a program, Fisher said locations
have to look at their overall operations
when looking to increase sales.
If you have great food service but
your price sign has dirt behind the
numbers and your dispensers are
filthy, thats not going to promote
food service, Fisher said.
Curb appeal is crucial for interstate
locations. Appearance gives you the
ability to bring that customer in for
the first time, but an appearance is
like an Army recruiterit will only
get you once. To have a behavioral,
habitual change, you have to have
that total experience for customers,
he said.

www.natso.com

15

Chevron Products Co.

Global Lubricants-Americas Region

Patty Looney
394 S.W. 27th Terrace
Delray, FL 33445
(561) 632-7347
(561) 921-0367
plooney@chevron.com
www.deloperformance.com

Federated Insurance

Jerry Leemkuil
121 E. Park Square
Owatonna, MN 55060
(507) 455-5507
(507) 455-7840
jleemkuil@fedins.com
www.federatedinsurance.com
First Data

Coca-Cola Refreshments

J.T. McMahan
2500 Windy Ridge Pkwy.
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 200-8892
(770) 989-3565
jmcmahan@coca-cola.com
www.thecoca-colacompany.com
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions

Roger Phillips
535 Marriott Drive, 8th Floor
Nashville, TN 37214
(615) 937-3405
(615) 493-2712
phillipsroge@bfusa.com
www.trucktires.com
CAT Scale Co.

16

July/August 2015

Gilbarco Veeder-Root

DAS Companies Inc.

Gordon Price
724 Lawn Road
Palmyra, PA 17078
(717) 507-0363 or
(800) 251-9104 ext. 259
(800) 842-1992
gprice@dasinc.com
www.dasinc.com
Double Coin Tire

Delia Moon Meier

515 Sterling Drive
Walcott, IA 52773
(563) 284-6263
(563) 284-6475
delia.meier@iowa80group.com
www.catscale.com

Dan Hudson
5565 Glenridge Connector NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(703) 398-5831
(402) 315-5452
dan.hudson@firstdata.com
www.firstdata.com

Jim Manning
4778 Devonwood Ct.
Lakeland, FL 33801-0370
(813) 476-1918
(626) 301-9579
jmann21741@aol.com
www.doublecointires.com

Paul Kaper
7300 W. Friendly Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27410-6232
(336) 547-5748
paul.kaper@gilbarco.com
www.gilbarco.com
Howes Lubricator

Stephen Sikorsky
60 Ocean State Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
(401) 294-5500
(401) 294-4229
steves@howeslube.com
www.howeslube.com

KSG Distributing Inc.

Don Paddock
1121 Flint Meadow Drive
Kaysville, UT 84037
(801) 390-3820
(801) 991-1821
dpaddock@ksgdist.com
www.ksgdist.com
McLane Co. Inc.

Paragon Solutions

Michael Lawshe
201 Main St., Suite 1150
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817-927-7171 ext. 201
(817) 927-8131
mlawshe@paragon4design.com
www@paragon4design.com

Shell Lubricants

Christian Peters
3400 Watertown Place
Birmingham, AL 35243
(713) 241-2571
(281) 482-4189
john.peters2@shell.com
www.rotella.com
The Truckers FriendNational Truck
Stop Directory

Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC

Sean Luce
4747 McLane Parkway
Temple, TX 76504
(254) 742-3675
sean.luce@mclaneco.com
www.mclaneco.com
Michelin North America

Robert Lake
3200 Rice Mine Road N.E.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
(205) 248-1235
(205) 345-0958
rlake@rrpub.com
www.rrpub.com
Renewable Energy Group

Josh Jarvis
One Parkway South
Greenville, SC 29615
(864) 458-4574 or (505) 307-8797
josh.jarvis@us.michelin.com
www.michelintruck.com
Mobil Delvac

Jon Scharingson
416 S. Bell Ave.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 239-8042
(515) 509-1259
jon.scharingson@regi.com
www.regi.com
S&D Coffee & Tea

Craig Barr
3225 Gallows Road
Fairfax, VA 22037
(360) 601-9797
(280) 445-2299
craig.w.barr@exxonmobil.com
www.mobildelvac.com

Robert de Vos
P.O. Box 476
Clearwater, FL 33757
(727) 446-2866
(727) 443-4921
rdevos@truckstops.com
www.truckstops.com
Valvoline

Gigi Rollins
c/o Bobbi Brophy
3499 Blazer Parkway
Lexington, KY 40509
(843) 793-8490
(859) 357-2359
grollins@ashland.com
www.valvolinehd.com

John Morris
300 Concord Parkway S.
Concord, NC 28027
(800) 933-2210
(804) 794-2725
morrisj@sndcoffee.com
www.sndcoffee.com

www.natso.com

17

TREND

BY MINDY LONG

Highway congestion, the driver shortage and supply chain optimization are all causing
shippers and carriers to examine the way they move freight. The top 10 percent of all
trade corridors move 79 percent of all goods, according to a report by the Brookings Institute, but the amount of traffic on those corridors could shift due to these five factors.
CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION CENTERS
The need to get items to
consumers quickly coupled with concerns over
aging infrastructure and supply chain
disruptions is driving a growing number of retailers and shippers to position product regionally throughout
the country. They are also turning to
a variety of fulfillment methods, ensuring they have adequate supplies of
just-in-time along with just-in-case
inventory available when it is needed.
Tom Jensen, a transportation policy expert for UPS, said the shipping
company is seeing more retailers leverage their stores as mini-distribution
centers in an effort to optimize their
supply chain, which moves inventory closer to consumers and allows
retailers to minimize markdowns by
shipping an item to an online buyer
instead of offering it on sale.
18

July/August 2015

Macys is among retailers that are

now fulfilling orders from the store,
giving them, in effect, mini distribution centers throughout the country.
The retailer has rolled out fulfillment capability at 500 Macys stores
nationwide. The rapid growth of
Macys direct-to-customer shipments, rooted in our omni-channel
approach to business, requires us to
continue to strategically add fulfillment capacity so our customers can
receive their orders quickly and efficiently, said Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive
officer of Macys Inc.
Richard Thompson, managing director of supply chain and logistics
solutions at the real estate firm Jones
Lange LaSalle, said he has seen an
increase in the number of traditional
retailers moving into dedicated fulfillment facilities so they can ship to

the consumer directly instead of fulfilling retail stores.

Over the past few years Thompson
has also seen a broadening of demand
for warehouse space in smaller markets. Youre seeing increased demand
in regional requirements and an uptick
in more secondary markets, he said.
However, some companies are
moving out of rural locations, where
land has traditionally been less expensive, to more urban areas in order to
position product closer to consumers
and reliable transportation networks.
For example, Amazon closed its onemillion square foot distribution center in Coffeyville, Kansas in February
to relocate closer to a larger city.
Theyre closing it essentially because it is inconvenient from a freight
cost standpoint. If you look at a map
and see Coffeyville, Kansas, it is in the
middle of nowhere, Thompson said.

CONGESTION
Congestion on the nations
highways will cost Americans $276 billion annually
by 2020, according to a report from

the BlueGreen Alliance, a coalition of

labor and environmental groups. The
Alliance cited the American Society of
Civil Engineers 2013 report card that
said 42 percent of Americans major
urban highways are congested. U.S.
infrastructure received a D+ grade in
the most recent report card from the
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Carriers and shippers may begin to
shift away from the most congested
areas in order to keep freight moving.
AIT Worldwide Logistics, Itasca, Illinois, works with its customers to try
and alleviate bottlenecks throughout
the supply chain, starting with the
point of origin. The company sets
up virtual warehouses for customers
within its own facilitiesit has 38
of them throughout the U.S.and
stocks high velocity items to get them
closer to the customer.
One of our clients did a lot of business through one point. The following year we moved it to five points.
It allowed us to allow the seller to
change their cut off date for delivery
by Christmas. By us moving product,
they could change that cut off by six
days, giving them six more selling
days, said John Hagi, AITs director
of home delivery and special services.
AIT Worldwide Logistics has turned
to technology to try to streamline its
shipping. We created a technology
platform we call the capacity management tool that allows us to spread that
volume out throughout the supply
chain. Even at the beginning, it allows
us to move product effectively so that
we have a funnel that is as wide at the
bottom as it is at the top, Hagi said.
Congestion at ports can shift freight
as well. Recently, congestion at Pacific Coast ports led to an increase in
freight volume at ports in Savannah,
North Charleston, Wilmington and

The American Transportation Research Institutes latest report on congestion

revealed the top ten congestion points the trucking industry faces.

Fort Lee, NJ: I-95 at SR 4

Houston, TX: I-610 at US 290

Chicago, IL: I-290 at I-90/I-94

St. Louis, MO: I-70 at I-64 (West)

Atlanta, GA: I-285 at I-85 (North)

Los Angeles, CA: SR 60 at SR 57

Cincinnati, OH: I-71 at I-75

Louisville, KY: I-65 at I-64/I-71

Houston, TX: I-45 at US 59

Austin, TX: I-35

Norfolk. Several Atlantic ports are improving their infrastructure in advance

of the widening of the Panama Canal.

THE SHIFT IN ENERGY PRODUCTION

The increase in oil and
natural gas production in
the U.S. led to a spike in
the number of trucks on the road in
certain areas, but that may wane as
the price of oil drops and U.S. production declines. Several major oil
companies have announced plans to
cease drilling. Not only will that affect the amount of petroleum products being moved, it will also cause a
decrease in the movement of drilling
equipment and supplies.

DRIVER DEMANDS
The driver shortage is continuing to increase, and
carriers are doing everything they can to attract and retain
drivers. For many carriers, that has
meant creating more regional routes
and shortening the length of haul so
drivers are home more often.
This reduction in average length of
haul has been an ongoing trend and
it now averages around 500 miles.
However, Bob Costello, chief economist with American Trucking Asso-

ciations, told Stop Watch some carriers have said they are trying to boost
their average length of haul. After
years and years of bringing it down
to try and get drivers home more often and because a lot of large retailers have opened distribution centers
across the country, weve had a few
members try to tell us theyre working to boost their average length of
haul because they have a group of
drivers complaining about not being able to earn as good of a living,
Costello said.

CHANGES IN DEMOGRAPHICS
Shifts in the population
and housing needs could
change freight demands.
According to the most recent census,
Texas gained more people than any
other state during the Census period.
Other fast-growing states included
California, Florida, Georgia and
North Carolina.
For 2015, Forbes listed the top
ten fastest growing cities as Houston, Austin and Dallas, Texas;
Raleigh, North Carolina; Seattle,
Washington; Denver, Colorado;
San Francisco; Fort Worth, Texas;
Charlotte, North Carolina; and San
Antonio, Texas.
www.natso.com

19

FOUNDATION UPDATE

Customization + Variety =
The Future of Beverage Sales
BY MINDY LONG
rom traditional and craft sodas to coconut water to energy
drinks, todays consumers have
more choices than ever when selecting a beverage, and the number of
drinks competing for cooler space is
expected to grow.
As the food service continues to
grow, the beverage companies are going to keep introducing new products, said Stephanie Kowitz, director
of shopper insights for Coca-Cola.
The good news for the travel plaza
industry is that their customers are
buying those beverages. Kowitz said
64 percent of inside sales at truckstops
and travel plazas include the purchase
of a beverage, and three beverage categoriescarbonated soft drinks, energy
and waterdeliver over 70 percent of
the volume of beverage sales.

20

July/August 2015

While there is a lot of potential within the category, travel plazas are most
often limited by their cooler space,
which means they need to be sure they
stock the right products.
To help make space in their coolers, Darren Schulte, vice president of
membership for NATSO, suggests operators look at the number of sizes they
offer and said it isnt necessary to offer
every available option.
When determining what size to
stock, Kowitz said larger immediate
consumption package sizes, such as
one liters, are an advantage for truckstop retailers over convenience stores.
Sean Flynn, general manager of Flynns Truck Plaza, has tried to cut down
on the number of facings he gives one
product. Every soda company wants
as many facings of their best-selling
product as possible. That doesnt help

TREND

us sell, but it just looks good, he said.

If guy wants a Coke 20 ounce, he is
going to get the Coke 20 ounce and
you dont have to have 10 facings of it.
Flynn said that he has found grouping like items togethersuch as colas
with other colasmakes more sense
for the consumer. Flynn has been able
to maximize cooler space so he could
dedicate one door to local, craft sodas, which is appealing to locals and
travelers alike.
We have gone to a local bottler,
Polar Beverages. They have some local
flavorsa birch beer, Cape Cod cranberry dry seltzerthat you dont see
other places, Flynn said.
Flynn said it is fun for customers
to try new flavors and he hopes they
find something that will bring them in
again. If you find something unique
you cant get at a large chain, that is a
benefit, he said.
To help determine the best product
mix, Schulte suggests operators look at
their local demographic. Every travel
center is different, but sometimes travel center owners or operators, because
theyre on the interstate, can forget
they have a strong local presence and
forget to consider what the local trends
or flavors are, Schulte said.
In addition to craft sodas, craft beers
are one way to tap into the local flavor.
Schulte said, There might be a particular craft beer in your market that
really does well and why wouldnt you
want to offer that and make that part
of what your known for?
Michael Ouimet, president of Oiumet Resources, which operates travel

FOUNDATION UPDATE
center restaurants in 11 states and
provides consulting work, has one location that features 100 types of beer
and displays 99 bottles of beer on the
wall. We display them by the bottle
and you can pick six for one price, he
said. It is a point of difference.
Broadway Flying J Travel Plazas dedicated one door in its 15-door cooler
at one Montana location to local craft
beers, which has resonated with a
range of customers. Were on the road
to West Yellowstone, and we have a lot
of tourists who try the craft beers, said
Damon Borden, a manager at Broadway Flying J. Even the locals know
you can get it at our store and come
back and get it.
Broadway Flying J sells the craft
beers by the six-pack and in 24-ounce
bottles and has placed special signage
on the door. Whats more, staff has
taken time to visit the local breweries,
so they can answer any questions customers have about the beers.
While the craft beers are popular, the
top-selling drinks at Broadway Flying J
Travel Plazas are energy drinks, which
are selling even better than water, Borden said. Monster is our top seller,
even greater than Red Bull, he said.
Flynn has also found success with
Bawls Guarana, an energy drink.
There was no distributor around here,
but we bought pallets from the manufacturer and kept them in our warehouse. We had people driving down
from a state away to get it, he said.
Flynn is also having success with
canned iced coffees and coconut
water. Americans are now buying
around $400 million in coconut
water annually, according to the research group Euromonitor.
Kowitz said tea sales are exploding,
and the National Restaurant Association listed specialty iced tea as a top
trend in 2015.

Iced coffees and teas are the fastest growing beverage segments
Borden sees. We sell as much in
the winter as in the summer. That
Gen X customer is moving away
from coffee in general and is looking for iced coffees and smoothies
and iced teas, he said.
While SKU count is important,
Schulte said the ability to customize is a priority. One of the growing trends is customization of your
fountain drinks, like the Coca-Cola
Freestyle machine, Schulte said.
There are dozens of flavors on
that machine, but I think there are
30,000 different combinations you
could come up with. That is what
customization is. That makes sense
versus having every soda under the
sun in your cooler.
During The NATSO Show 2015,
J.T. McMahan, sales director for
Coca-Cola, told attendees, Customization is king.
Kowitz said creating easy food
and beverage bundles can help spur
beverage sales and meet customers
needs. Thirty-nine percent of food
service shoppers say the availability
of combination offers is important to
their location decision, Kowitz said.
Combination bundles are most
important for midmorning snacks,
lunch and mid-afternoon snacks.
Operators may want to tap into
marketing that encourages customers to make a purchase for now and
for later, such as signage that shows
a fountain drink bundled with a
bottled beverage.
While gas and diesel is the most influential item that determines when
and where a customer stops, the
most impulse purchases are candy,
gum, mints, salty snacks, carbonated
soft drinks and candy.

QUICK TIP:
Cooler space at
truckstops and travel
plazas is limited, but
Stephanie Kowitz,
director of shopper
marketing for CocaCola, said it is
important to remember
that not everyone is
after a cold beverage.
Some people prefer
room temperature
drinks, she said.
Forty-one percent of
truckstop and travel
plaza customers prefer
room temperature
bottled water.

www.natso.com

21

BY MI NDY LO NG

22

July/August 2015

TREND

lanning has always been an

important part of operations
at Sacramento 49er, but three
years ago, Tristen Griffith, general
manager of the location, decided she
needed a more detailed approach.
Griffith hired a consultant who
helped her craft a written document
the company evaluates annually and
lives by all year.
Ideas can apply to any aspect of
the business and include short- and
long-term projects. One manager
might think we need to renovate
our parking lot and update paving.
That is something that we know
isnt going to get done this year, but
we want it on our strategic plan because we know we need to get to it
within a certain time, Griffith said.
Most items on the list can be accomplished within a year, but the
document also includes items that
are part of a five-year plan, such as a
major shower renovation.
It is getting to be a lengthy document, but we can look at it and say
this is where we started and this is
where we are, Griffith said. In the
manager meetings, we discuss where
we are with it and even when something is done, we go back throughout
the year and touch every one of them.
At Sacramento 49er, every manager
in every department thinks of ideas
at the beginning of the year and the
company comes up with start dates,
end dates and deliverables.
Darren Schulte, vice president of
membership at NATSO, said it is those
types of details that can determine the

success of the plan. To be effective,

strategies needs to be executable, attainable and actionable, Schulte said.
Dont put a plan in place unless youre
going to measure it.
To track success, it is important
to hold people accountable, Schulte
explained. Sacramento 49er makes
one person responsible for each item
within its strategic plan. Nobody is
alone at it but there is a lead, Griffith
said, adding that the company reviews steps within the plan regularly.
For example, Sacramento 49er identified a goal of increasing traffic in the
truck wash, so they created a loyalty
program. Even after the loyalty program got underway, they continued
to look at the deliverable and identify
additional ways to boost traffic.
Deanne Schatz, operations manager at the Petro Fargo, said drafting a strategic plan can help operators identify items that need repair.
Sometimes when you are here every
day, its hard to see what needs to be
upgraded or fixed because you are
used to seeing it, she said. When
you put a timeline on things, you
start looking at whats out there
now versus what you have, such as
gas dispensers and awnings, and see
what the new ones look like and
figure out how many versions back
you are. Then you can really start to
see clearly the wear and tear and just
how worn down things are.
The Petro Fargo makes it a goal to
evaluate its parking lots and driveways annually and commit to keeping them pothole free. Schatz said the
www.natso.com

23

Operators said tracking their returns

on investment is an important part
of their strategic plan. Keith Wade,
operations director at Petro Dodge City
#397, shared how he calculates the
ROI on a new project:
Lets say you remove an arcade and
decide to add a western clothing area
in this space.

F IRST STEP:

Figure out your current sales

per square foot in your existing
clothing area.

S ECOND STEP:

Figure out the costs for

the renovation.

THIRD STEP:

Calculate your projected profit.

FINAL STEP:

Divide your profit into the cost of

the renovations to get the ROI.

24

July/August 2015

companys main building and facility

is 20 years old, so they are completely
re-facing it along with the fuel island.
We have been planning and working
on it for a year as its quite an extensive
project, she said.
For Keith Wade, operations director at Petro Dodge City #397,
organization is key to planning. I
was taught the Five Ps early in my
lifePrior Planning PreventsPoor
Performance, he explained, adding
that he has a Site Improvement Bible that helps him stay organized.
The Site Improvement Bible is
housed in an Excel spreadsheet and
has several pieces of information, including active and complete projects.
I list and track almost every intermediate to large project in this list,
Wade said, adding that upgrades
are crucial. Travel centers age three
years every year because they are
open 24 hours a day.
Schulte said that when crafting a
plan, operators should be realistic
and understand the companys current resources and how they fit into
the plan. Your goal might be to have
regular meetings every month, but
the fact of the matter is youre short
handed and cant. Or you say youre
going to clean the restroom every 10
minutes but you only have one custodian on staff, Schulte said. To make
it executable and realistic, you have to
look at what you can do to get there.
Avoid doing pie in the sky planning
or things that dont make sense.
Schulte said that doesnt mean
companies cant dream big, but that
to be successful, they need to have
a clear and executable strategy. He
added that he has seen plans fail because they arent realistic. With the
best plans, you give yourself a realistic
timeline that is achievable and you go
the length. It is important for whoev-

er is doing the leading to understand

that, he said.
Sacramento 49er has also started a
reserve fund to finance the strategic
plan and equipment purchases. We
look at anything that is in there and
expected renovations and how much
we should be saving for that every
year, Griffith said.
The reserve fund includes a list of
all of the companys major equipmentitems that cost more than
$5,000such as the roof, air conditioning units and pavement.
We hired a company to do a reserve
study and go into every department
and list every item over $5,000, its expected life and the replacement cost,
Griffith said. If you know you have
five more years left on an item and it
will cost you $100,000 to replace it,
you need to be saving $20,000 a year.
Griffith said organizing the reserve
fund was daunting. The first year
we had to save over $1 million and
some odd dollars. We couldnt do
that, but that was the starting point,
she said. Just opening the accounts
and getting it started was a big step.
For Wade, calculating a projects return on investment can help him determine success. He said most of his recent intermediate projects have a ROI
of around one-and-a-half years, while
some simple projects, such as new fixtures or candy bins, can have a ROI of
three months (learn more about how
he calculates his ROI in the sidebar).
Once a plan is in place, it is important that the entire team execute
it and keep the long-term vision in
mind. As a plan moves forward,
there are two things that have to be
thought through, Schulte said. You
cant give up on a plan just because it
got rough, but you also have to recognize if a plan needs to be adjusted
or just abandoned.

CO OKIES AND
RICE CRISPIES
AT PINE CONE TRAVEL PLAZA

BY AMY TONER

or four decades Jim Glover has owned Pine Cone Restaurant in Johnson
Creek, Wisconsin. In late 1990, he also bought Pine Cone Travel Plaza.
Located 40 minutes outside of Madison, Wisconsin, the location features a
convenience store, CAT Scale, ATM, copy and fax services, and a fresh deli and
bakery in addition to the travel plaza.
These days the fresh deli and bakery is really buzzing. We offer many services,
but the bakery has been the largest increase in the last couple years. The bakery in
general has doubled in the last five years, Glover said.
He attributes the growth to customers wanting freshly prepared, quality food. We
make everything from scratch and fresh to order, he said.
All food offered at the location is made there and is fresh. Glover doesnt buy
anything pre-made. This is a strong selling point for the truckstop and keeps
customers coming back. People really like food that is made in house. I hear this
daily. They don't like the pre-made food/bakery, he said.
They also take the time to offer specialized food. Customers love that we make
their food to order, Glover said.
Glover told Stop Watch most truck drivers seem to have less time now than in
years past. As a result, sales of the truckstops grab-and-go items have increased.
The biggest items for grab and go would be cookies and rice crispies, he said,
adding that they make most everything they sell available in a grab-and-go format
with yogurt cups, subs, bakery items and pizza being especially popular.
Hes also noticed a big increase in sales of salads and strawberries and other
fruits, especially in the summer. I wouldn't say that they are eating healthier, but
there is a noticeable increase in the summer with fruits and salads, Glover said.
The biggest difference I hear about our location is that our prices are very
low, he added. He said most the truck drivers are just amazed by the prices and
quantity of food they receive.
This focus on food is keeping the truckstop very busy. We don't have any plans
for future change. Right now we are so busy we are just trying to keep everything
going, he said.

www.natso.com

25

GREAT IDEAS IN ACTION

Where: Donnas Travel Center

GREAT IDEA:
In 2013, Donnas Travel Center in Marysville, Washington, added a CocaCola Freestyle machine that allows customers to choose from more than 40
Coca-Cola products to create their own special drink. This Great Idea allows Donnas to capitalize on the growing trend of customization. Allowing
customers to create their own unique products is becoming an expectation,
especially for millennials. Customization elevates customer loyalty and engagementand this leads to word-of-mouth promotion to potentially untapped customers.

NEW MEMBERS
NEW TRAVEL PLAZA MEMBERS
WOLFF TRAVEL PLAZA
(Flying J Dealer #551)
16851 IH 20
Cisco, TX 76437
PHONE: (254) 442-1040
CONTACT: Larry Wolff

NEW ALLIED MEMBERS

BUCKET WONDERS
1145 South 1680 West
Orem, UT 84058
PHONE: (801) 221-9894
FAX: (801) 221-0864
CONTACT: Bonnie Gunderson
EMAIL: bonnie@bucketwonders.com

A&W RESTAURANTS INC.

1648 McGrathiana Pkwy, Suite 380
Lexington, KY 40511
PHONE: (855) 766-8232
FAX: (859) 721-1328
CONTACT: Jeana Banks
EMAIL: jbanks@awrestaurants.com

H.T. HACKNEY CO.

502 S. Gay St., Suite 300
Knoxville, TN 37902
PHONE: (865) 246-1291
CONTACT: Heather Butler
EMAIL: heather.butler@hthackney.com

PEAK COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL

4065 Commercial Ave.
Northbrook, IL 60062-1828
PHONE: (847) 559-2169
FAX: (847) 664-7011
CONTACT: Sean Wheatley
EMAIL: swheatley@oldworldind.com

HAVE A GREAT IDEA YOU WANT TO SUBMIT? Send a high-resolution picture of your locations
great idea and the story behind it to Amy Toner at atoner@natso.com.

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July/August 2015