Paul Bhardwaj, CEO and founder of Golden Oil, which operates four truckstops and is in the process of building its fifth, has been in the truckstop industry for more than 30 years. During that time, he has seen amenities and driver preferences change, and the locations do a fantastic job of staying current and remaining relevant.
11-01-2018 In this issue of Stop Watch, we’re featuring not one, but 13 outstanding ideas operators have shared. Operators shared their insights and best practices during the Great Ideas! Session at NATSO Connect 2018. The annual meeting is one of the highlights of NATSO’s annual gathering, and operators were able to swap ideas and learn more about what is working for their peers, get inspiration from both inside and outside of the industry and think through how they can adapt ideas to make them work for them. While ideas filled the room, here are 13 that stood out.
11-01-2018 Bowlin Travel Centers, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been serving the traveling public in the Southwest for more than 100 years. Today the travel center company is led by President and CEO Michael Bowlin and has grown considerably since it started as a single-store operation in New Mexico.
09-01-2018 White’s Travel Plaza hosted the 36th annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs event in June. White’s, which is owned by NATSO member Bobby Berkstresser and located on I-81 in Raphine, Virginia, is always a popular location, and when you add a spectacular event like the Shell Big Rigs, it becomes even more of a draw.
09-01-2018 Pride Stores LLC, headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, put an extra emphasis on its online presence by hiring a social media manager. After almost two years, Chris Szarek has grown the company’s digital profile by strategically using Google business tools, Facebook and more.
07-01-2018 Quicklee’s Travel Center in Avon, New York, was founded by Peter Bruckel, Quicklee’s president and managing member. Bruckel started in the petroleum industry in 1995 when he opened a gas station on land adjacent to his industrial bridge painting company.
07-01-2018Technology is changing, the retail experience is changing and customers needs are changing. That means NATSO members must observe the trends and innovate to remain relevant.
Finding and applying great ideas has become so important.
The good news is NATSO provides many ways to gather ideas.
06-12-2018 Home Service Oil Co., doing business as Express Mart, St. Louis, Missouri, has their managers’ “offices” in the center of its convenience stores.
05-01-2018 As both consumers and business owners and many of us have seen that the pace of change is accelerating. Technology is changing, the retail experience is changing and our customers are changing. That means we must observe the trends and innovate to remain relevant. Finding and applying great ideas has become so important, especially as our pool of competitors has grown. We’re not just competing with other truckstops for both customers and staff, we’re competing with every retail outlet.
03-01-2018 At NATSO Connect 2018, hundreds of innovative, senior-level truckstop operators and industry partners came together to connect. For two-and-a-half days, this collaborative group
03-01-2018 When Bobby Berkstresser got started in the truckstop industry 36 years ago, he had never pumped fuel before and hadn’t planned to become one of the largest employers in his town. Instead, he was looking for a garage for his towing service. The owner of Lee Hi was getting ready to close the location and called and asked Berkstresser if he’d like to buy it.
03-01-2018