Stinker Stores operates 68 retail sites in Idaho, 62 of which sell gasoline. It covers a vast landscape of 600 miles in the large state.
“Retail is what we do,” says Charley Jones, president and CEO.
Westpoint Transportation and ArrowRock Supply are two sister companies working with Stinker Stores. Westpoint supplies stores with fuel transportation and wholesale fuel supply. ArrowRock Supply is Stinker’s wholesale provider of consumer staples not otherwise delivered by companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Budweiser and MillerCoors, for example, focusing primarily on tobacco and also candy.
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At the age of 46, Steve Norman was out of a job, had two kids in college and a big mortgage. He had enough socked away to survive for a little while, but certainly not in the lifestyle to which his family was accustomed. He had to come up with a plan.
Norman had a background in wholesale distribution to convenience stores, and he decided to start a chain of cigarette/tobacco stores in West Virginia. He did market research and determined the area he was targeting could probably support 10 such stores eventually. He put together a business plan with all his analysis and projections and got a bank loan for $100,000.
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A few years ago, people thought of convenience stores as merely places where they bought fuel and picked up a quick snack. But times have changed, and Sheetz Inc. has even been ahead of the curve with stores that offer a menu of items.
“We’re pretty progressive,” Executive Vice President of Operations Travis Sheetz says. “Foodservice is something a lot of convenience stores are getting into, [but] we’ve been into it for 25 years.”
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Back in 2009, Rovio Entertainment Ltd. hit it big with Angry Birds – a mobile game that became a worldwide sensation and has now permanently entered popular culture. Earning the title of the most downloaded game of all time with 2 billion downloads under its belt, Angry Birds is Rovio’s classic and beloved brand. But the company isn’t taking its success for granted. A hub of passionate artists, seasoned game developers and experienced business minds, Rovio has more than 800 employees worldwide but still operates as a start-up, constantly looking for ways to innovate and delight its fans with new offerings
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Robert Graham may be a men’s luxury fashion brand, but it has already built a strong following by shunning the typical and embracing the bold. Based in New York and launched in 2001, the company takes its name from co-founder Robert Stock, a fashion designer, and former co-founder Graham Fowler, a textile designer. It is known for complex and colorful patterns that have allowed it to fill a niche in the menswear market.
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Herdrich Petroleum Corp. is working to open more Quickpix convenience stores throughout rural communities in Indiana. With its focus hard set on expansion, the company is streamlining its operations to become more efficient as more locations open.
The family owned company dates back to 1953 when Jim Herdrich founded Herdrich Oil Co. in Connersville, Ind. In 1986, Bill Herdrich – Jim Herdrich’s son and current company president – formed Herdrich Petroleum in Rushville, Ind., after merging Browning & Herdrich Co., a fuel supply company he founded, with Herdrich Oil.
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For a while in the grocery business, getting bigger was the goal, but now the big-box mega-retailers are trying to fit their stores into smaller locations emphasizing groceries. When doing this on Long Island, N.Y., they may run into the 11 locations of Handy Pantry Food Stores, which has been practicing the business model of having everything people want with a friendly, neighborhood feel since 1976.
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Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa has built its franchise brand over the past decade by delivering on the demand for a day spa where customers can receive a tremendous experience at an affordable price and at a convenient location. “You have a successful business with these three elements,” CEO Todd Leff says.
John Marco, a physical therapist for more than 25 years, founded the Hamilton, N.J.-based company in 2004 with the goal of making massage services more convenient and affordable. Leff joined Hand and Stone in 2009 after retiring as president and CEO of AAMCO Transmission Inc. in 2009. “After playing golf for 90 straight days, I started looking for a company to invest in and lead from a management position,” Leff recalls. “I met John, loved the concept of Hand and Stone, loved the industry and within 45 days I invested money and became the president and CEO.”
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