NYACS Inducts Two to Hall of Fame

DELMAR, N.Y.

In recognition of their exceptional contributions to the New York convenience store industry, Mark Sidebottom and Richard "Dick" Chase have been elected to the New York Association of Convenience Stores' (NYACS) Hall of Fame.

Sidebottom, president of East Amherst, N.Y.-based MWS Enterprises Inc., was a charter member of NYACS when it was founded in 1986. He later joined the association's Board of Directors and served as a two-term chairman beginning in 1995.

Along with wife Patti, Sidebottom opened his first store in 1981. Through a series of acquisitions, the couple built the business into a chain of 30 company-operated and five franchised convenience stores. The units, located in seven upstate New York counties, are branded Sunoco, Mobil, Citgo and Coastal.

With 250 employees, MWS is recognized by NYACS as an industry leader in employee retention, in-house training, computerization of store operations and recordkeeping.

An outspoken critic of state tax and regulatory policies that affect place convenience store operators at an unfair competitive disadvantage, Sidebottom has chaired the NYACS Legislative Committee since 1998.

For the past four years, Chase was sales manager of Northern Eagle Beverage, a wholesale distributor of Anheuser Busch, High Falls/Genesee and Heineken beers. Prior to that, he worked for the Genesee Brewing Co. for 32 years before retiring in 1997.

Chase, lifelong New York resident, help co-founder NYACS with Bob Seng. He also chaired the NYACS Associate Board, an advisory panel of suppliers, in 1990.

Previous members inducted in the NYACS Hall of Fame include Seng; John MacDougall, of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes; Kevin Noon, of K&K Food Marts; and Sherry Wright of Lorillard Tobacco Co
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