Pilot Co. Outlines 2022 Strategic Growth Plan

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Co. announced its 2022 strategic growth plan, which calls for the addition of at least 34 locations to its travel center network. These will consist of 14 travel centers and at least 20 dealer sites.

In addition to network growth, Pilot plans to provide travelers and professional truck drivers with upgraded amenities and offerings. Key initiatives will include testing new food concepts, facility upgrades, technology enhancements and introducing new partnerships, such as the recent addition of GNC wellness products to Pilot Flying J stores nationwide.

Pilot's 2022 growth plan also calls for enriching the team member experience, and exploring additional corporate sustainability programs. The company will assess and deploy impactful systems, tools and strategies to advance talent development, recognition and rewards, diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing for all team members.    

The travel center operator also announced that it is partnering with Southern Tire Mart to add 40 new Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J (STMPFJ) service centers to Pilot Flying J locations across the country. This is part of STMPFJ's expansion plan to provide fleets with more than 200 on-premises shop locations over the next few years.

"We are always looking ahead and listening to our guests and team members to drive future innovation and strategic investments in our business," said Pilot Co. CEO Shameek Konar. "As we move into 2022, we have made several key organizational changes and additions that diversify our leadership team and position our company for sustained growth by delivering on our promise to ensure the experience at Pilot is exceptional."

To support the 2022 growth plan, three individuals were recently promoted and a new hire was added to round out the company's leadership team:

• Allison Cornish has been promoted to vice president, store modernization. In her new role, Cornish will lead the design and execution of store improvement initiatives alongside Pilot's construction and development team.
• Jamie Landis has been promoted to vice president, team member experience, where she will be responsible for the design, implementation and elevation of the experience for all team members. 
• Tim Langenkamp has been promoted to vice president, business development — sustainability. In this new role, he will focus on energy-transition strategies, including developing electric vehicle charging infrastructure for passenger vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty trucks; developing a strategy for supporting low-emission and zero-emission vehicles; and continuing to provide low-carbon fueling alternatives to guests.
• Jonathan Braatvedt has joined Pilot as vice president of food and beverage to focus on expanding offerings into new business channels, improving operational efficiencies, and enhancing guests' food and beverage experiences. Braatvedt now oversees more than 790 owned and operated restaurants across 14 brands, and 670 proprietary fresh delis.

"It's incredibly rewarding to see many talented people being promoted internally and joining the Pilot family to lead our teams as we continue to expand and differentiate our business," Konar said. "We are in the service industry and will continue to do everything we can to make a better day for everyone that walks through our doors."

Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Co. operates more than 800 retail and fueling locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces.