NYACS Hall of Fame to Welcome Three New Inductees
ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) will honor three new members of the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame at its annual Chairman's Banquet on Thursday, May 14 in Syracuse, N.Y. The Hall of Fame honors individual retailers and suppliers for exceptional achievement in the c-store industry and exemplary service to NYACS.
This year's inductees are:
Terry Pier, zone manager for the northeastern United States for Swisher International Inc. Throughout his 26-year career with Swisher, Pier has been actively involved with NYACS and offered to spearhead projects, sponsor events and provide other support.
A current member of the NYACS associate board who joined in 2009, Pier served as chairman in 2011-2012. He holds an associate's degree from Erie Business College and is a 2004 graduate of the Bantle Institute, sponsored by Syracuse University and AWMA Distributors Education Foundation. He is pursuing certification as a category manager through the Category Management Association. Pier resides in Erie, Pa.
Mike Siwik spent 39 years as a Syracuse-based sales manager for Lorillard Tobacco Co. He was also a fixture at NYACS trade shows, conferences and golf outings. He's regarded by his peers as a true professional who always supported NYACS and its retailer members through active participation and thoughtful input, according to the announcement, Siwik lives in Michigan with his wife Pat.
The Byrne family is both an associate member of NYACS as Byrne Dairy Inc. and a retail member as Sonbyrne Sales. The family-run business started out with milk deliveries by horse-drawn wagon in the 1930s, which led to a newly opened state-of-the-art yogurt manufacturing plant in Cortlandville, N.Y., and its 54-location convenience store chain.
Matthew V. Byrne founded the business in 1933 and turned it over to his three sons, John M. Byrne, William M. Byrne and C. Vincent Byrne. Today, family members who lead the business include Carl Byrne, president, Dairy Group; and Mark Byrne, president, Retail Group. In 2014, NYACS named the Byrnes one of "New York's Foremost Convenience Store Families."
Pier, Siwik and the Byrne family will be the 40th, 41st and 42nd respective inductees into the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame, which NYACS founded in 1996.
The Chairman's Banquet is the closing event of NYACS' two-day trade show and convention, being held May 13-14 in Syracuse. It also features a golf outing, welcome party, educational seminars, trade exhibits, prizes and other activities for member and non-member retailers and suppliers. More information is available at www.nyacs.org.