Chillicothe, Ohio — Chillicothe, Ohio-based Petland Inc. has opened its first store in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, Petland began the expansion process into the Middle East North Africa region with the signing of a master franchise agreement that includes rights to develop stores in United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bahrain. Petland has 135 locations in international markets, including stores in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, China, El Salvador and South Africa. The Saudi Arabian store, located in Jeddah, opened May 26, 2019 and features a complete line of …
East Moline, Ill. — Greg Stak has been named vice president of sales at H.C. Duke & Son, LLC / Electro Freeze. He most recently held senior sales management positions for Vollrath Company at Stoelting Foodservice and in the Vollrath Foodservice Sales division. Stak’s experience includes working within a distributor network, national and regional dealers, as well as with major national chains. Stak is responsible for Electro Freeze customer service, marketing and sales. He will be developing new customers and promoting Electro Freeze products through established relationships and digital resources. “Greg’s …
Seattle — LevelTen Energy has closed a three-project renewable energy portfolio purchased by Starbucks, comprising wind and solar farms in North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas. The power purchase agreement portfolio will provide clean power to the electricity grids that serve more than 3,000 U.S. Starbucks stores and communities by 2021, when all three projects are online. The portfolio was purchased from developers ALLETE Clean Energy, Apex Clean Energy, BayWa r.e. and Cypress Creek Renewables. Custom-built for Starbucks using LevelTen Energy’s technology-enabled procurement platform, the portfolio aggregates three strategically-located power purchase …
— Interview with Anthony Vross — R&R: Where are you based and how long has Simon Roofing been in business? Anthony Vross: Simon Roofing is a family-owned commercial roofing company being operated today by third- and fourth-generation family members. Founded more than 100 years ago, our company is headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio. R&R: What is your title and how long have you been with Simon? Vross: Co-owner, 41 years. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Vross: Simon Roofing’s customer list includes many large retailers and restaurants who …
— Interview with Sean Gillespie — R&R: Where are you based and how long has the company been in business? Sean Gillespie: Harrison Contracting Company began in 1995 and recently celebrated 20 years in business. Our main national office is based in Villa Rica, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. We also have offices in Destin and Tampa, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. R&R: What trades/services do you offer retailers and restaurants? Gillespie: We are a commercial painting contractor serving both new construction and repaint/reimage projects across all of our office …
Santee, Calif. — BLAIR SIGN PROGRAMS, a leading design/build sign and graphics company, has created a new “Comprehensive Sign Program” developed especially for new urban commercial retail and mixed-use projects. “The new urban realities require a new approach for comprehensive sign programs designed for commercial retail and mixed-use projects. It is no longer enough for a sign program to be only an exposition of static, traditional sign types. Our clients need solutions to the ‘clicks vs. bricks’ challenge in today’s retail environments,” says Scott Blair, founder of Blair Sign Programs. …
Irvine, Calif. — KTGY Architecture + Planning recently received a “special award of excellence” from the judges of the 2019 Gold Nugget Awards for its rebuilding and restoration of Anaheim White House Restaurant in Anaheim, Calif. The builder was Placa Construction Inc. Following a devastating fire, the KTGY team worked with historic restoration consultants and property owner to rebuild and restore the 1909 Colonial-style mansion and side house. A second architectural team rebuilt the kitchen and interior dining room. Careful consideration had to be made during the process as the …
Ankeny, Iowa — The board of directors of Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has appointed Darren Rebelez, president of IHOP®, as Casey’s next president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 24, 2019. Rebelez will also join Casey’s board of directors. He will succeed Casey’s president and CEO, Terry Handley, who will retire from the company and board, after a 38-year career with Casey’s. Rebelez joins Casey’s with over 25 years of business leadership experience focused on operations, marketing and merchandising for large corporations in each of the convenience store, fuel …
Ocala, Fla. — Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Celebrity’s Soul Food has selected Southlake, Texas-based N3 Real Estate and affiliates as its exclusive national developer and master broker for the United States. N3 will be responsible for all aspects of Celebrity’s real estate selection and development process across the country. With 200 units planned within the next 24 months, founders Dr. Fredrick Jacobs (a.k.a. Dr. J, The Counselor) and Taja Jacobs, along with their franchisee partners, will bring soul food cuisine to the nation in a classy and elegant atmosphere that treats …
Plano, Texas — J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has hired Victor Ejarque Lopez, a 25-year veteran of merchandising, product, supply chain and operations, as senior vice president, general merchandise manager for women’s apparel, reporting to Michelle Wlazlo, chief merchandising officer. He will join the company June 10. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing and developing all of the company’s women’s apparel merchandising strategies and programs. “I am delighted to welcome Victor to our team. His appointment fills a vital component of our merchandising leadership team, and we …