Sheetz Honored at Annual Growth Energy Confab

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Mike Lorenz, executive vice president of petroleum supply at Sheetz Inc., the Altoona, Pa.-based chain of 500 convenience stores, was honored with a TOBI Award at Growth Energy’s 2015 Executive Leadership Conference, held here last week.

The TOBI Award is named for Johan Tobias Lowitz, a German-Russian chemist who created ethanol in 1796 and is considered the “father of fuel ethanol.” The award honors retailer leadership.

Lorenz was presented the award by Gian Villante, an American mixed martial artist, and Chad Greenway of the NFL Minnesota Vikings. Both are spokespeople for American Ethanol.

Growth Energy is an industry organization representing producers and supporters of ethanol. The three-day conference featured government speakers, including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak, major industry players and retailers that sell ethanol fuels.

Convenience Store News Editorial Director Don Longo moderated a retailer update panel discussion featuring Lorenz, a 14-year veteran of Sheetz, which recently announced it was going to sell E15 fuel in 60 stores throughout North Carolina. Also on the panel were Todd Garner, CEO of Protec Fuel Management LLC, a company that is expanding ethanol to branded fuel stations; and Craig Willis, vice president of ethanol for the ADM Corn Processing Division, who spoke about the “Prime the Pump” campaign to expand use of E15.