Education at The NATSO Show to Focus on Operations, Costs and Opportunities

For truckstop and travel plaza operators, deep insight into costs and operations can help improve profitability, efficiency and success. During The NATSO Show 2017, scheduled to be held Jan. 21-24, in Savannah, Ga., NATSO will present a series of educational sessions on managing and improving costs created to help operators improve their operational performance and business planning.

“Helping people think about their costs in new ways is the first step to helping them optimize their operations,” said Darren Schulte, vice president of membership for NATSO, and one of the session’s presenters. “The market is cyclical. Margins will go down, and you may not be able to bring in more revenue but you can control costs.”

There is always something new to learn, and NATSO has dedicated an afternoon of educational sessions on Jan. 23 to helping operators get to know their truckstop and its associated costs. The sessions include:

Know Your Truckstop: Net Operating Cost: During this session, Schulte will explore the many facets of net operating costs and provide operators with actionable ways to improve net operating cost. Schulte will help operators uncover and apply best practices that can bring their NOC down.

Know Your Truckstop: Food Costs: This session is designed to increase attendees’ understanding of the true costs involved in running a successful food service program. Michael Ouimet, president of Ouimet Resources, which operates travel center restaurants in 11 states and provides consulting work, will share his insight on how to apply best practices to minimize daily food costs while running a more efficient program.

Know Your Truckstop: Capital and Infrastructure Needs: Capital outlays often can be hefty, but advanced planning can lessen the burden and keep operations running smoothly. This session will cover industry standards for infrastructure lifecycles and planning best practices. During the session, Tristen Griffith, president of Sacramento 49er, and Keith Wade, operations director of Dodge City Petro, will share their strategies for planning major equipment purchases and facility upgrades. Michael Cerminaro, president of Allied Brand Capital, will discuss the options available for covering capital improvements and when financing makes sense.

“We plan to cover a range of information and present new ideas to ensure the education appeals to both those who are just beginning to gain a deeper understanding of their costs as well as those who have been closely examining their figures for years,” said Pamela Hayes, vice president of business development at NATSO. “Our goal at The NATSO Show is to help operators shape their short- and long-term growth strategies, and uncovering costs will help operators prepare for the future.”

NATSO has selected the best thought leaders to present throughout The NATSO Show. To see the full lineup of show speakers and educational sessions, visit www.natsoshow.org.

The NATSO Show 2017 runs Jan. 21-24 at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. Truckstop and travel plaza operators can register online or by contacting Afua Smith at (703) 739-8568 or asmith@natso.com. Suppliers interested in participating as an exhibitor or sponsor should contact Pamela Hayes at (615) 673-2798 or phayes@natso.com.