PEOPLE NEWS
National convenience store broker TNT Marketing Inc. named Kenneth Fries president of the Arlington, Texas-based company. Fries, former category manager for Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc., will oversee all operations of the company.
"This opportunity is very exciting," Fries said. "The company has seen steady growth in its 10 years and my plan is to continue that growth and add to it tenfold."
Having previously served TNT as vice president of business development, Fries is familiar with the manufacturers and customers TNT represents as well as the daily activities of the broker. He returned to 7-Eleven for two years before taking on the challenge of leading TNT. At 7-Eleven for a total of 26 years, Fries served in all aspects of business operations, including category management and minority business development.
In other people news, Joe Callahan, founder of C-Chex, The Compliance Co., Avon, N.Y., has been elected 2004-05 chairman of the associate board of directors of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores.
He succeeds David Keeney of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as head of the associate board, an advisory body comprised of 20 leading supplier members of the association. Lori Miller of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., East Amherst, N.Y., was elected vice chair, and Dan Finkle of Finkle Distributors Inc., Johnstown, N.Y., was elected secretary.
Keith Brand, former director of category development in charge of prepaid telecommunications, financial services and stored value offerings for Circle K, has left that company to open Tefisto Partners Inc. The consulting practice will enable large chain-store retailers to go direct to service providers, eliminating their current distributors, thus maximizing their sales and gross profit potential by improving the supply chain.
Brand's practice will also enable new revenue and traffic driving electronically delivered products and services for retailers, including but not limited to paycheck cashing, prepaid debit cards and third-party gift cards, offerings that can be delivered through existing retailer POS infrastructure.
"This opportunity is very exciting," Fries said. "The company has seen steady growth in its 10 years and my plan is to continue that growth and add to it tenfold."
Having previously served TNT as vice president of business development, Fries is familiar with the manufacturers and customers TNT represents as well as the daily activities of the broker. He returned to 7-Eleven for two years before taking on the challenge of leading TNT. At 7-Eleven for a total of 26 years, Fries served in all aspects of business operations, including category management and minority business development.
In other people news, Joe Callahan, founder of C-Chex, The Compliance Co., Avon, N.Y., has been elected 2004-05 chairman of the associate board of directors of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores.
He succeeds David Keeney of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as head of the associate board, an advisory body comprised of 20 leading supplier members of the association. Lori Miller of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., East Amherst, N.Y., was elected vice chair, and Dan Finkle of Finkle Distributors Inc., Johnstown, N.Y., was elected secretary.
Keith Brand, former director of category development in charge of prepaid telecommunications, financial services and stored value offerings for Circle K, has left that company to open Tefisto Partners Inc. The consulting practice will enable large chain-store retailers to go direct to service providers, eliminating their current distributors, thus maximizing their sales and gross profit potential by improving the supply chain.
Brand's practice will also enable new revenue and traffic driving electronically delivered products and services for retailers, including but not limited to paycheck cashing, prepaid debit cards and third-party gift cards, offerings that can be delivered through existing retailer POS infrastructure.