VIDEO: Honoring Today's Top C-store Leaders & Rising Stars

DES MOINES, Iowa — Applauding the accomplishments of veteran convenience channel leaders while recognizing the potential of rising stars in the industry took center stage as Convenience Store News hosted its 35th annual Hall of Fame awards gala and fourth annual Future Leaders in Convenience (FLIC) Summit back-to-back on Nov. 11.

This year, CSNews welcomed retailer inductee Kyle Krause, founder and CEO of Krause Group, the parent company of Kum & Go LC, and supplier inductee Vito Maurici, senior vice president of sales and trade relations for McLane Co. Inc., into the Hall of Fame.

The night also honored Retailer Executive of the Year Kevin Smartt, CEO of Texas Born Inc. (formerly Kwik Chek); and Special Service Award recipient Roy Strasburger, president and CEO of StrasGlobal.

The dinner capped off a day that previously celebrated 25 rising stars who are ready to bring convenience and fuel retailing to the next level. This year’s FLIC class was the largest yet. Recipients are young convenience retailer leaders (aged 35 and under) who are poised to be at the forefront of the industry's future. 

The program's goal is to celebrate and help develop the next generation of convenience store industry leaders by recognizing the achievements of a select few emerging leaders, while providing a forum for talented young businesspeople to hone their leadership skills. 

Both events were held in Des Moines, home of Kum & Go.

Watch the video below for highlights of the day's happenings.

Sponsors of the 35th annual CSNews Hall of Fame awards gala included Anheuser-Busch, Altria Group Distribution Co., BIC, The Hershey Co., McLane Co. Inc., Mondelez International, and Reynolds Marketing Services Co. Reynolds also is the founding and presenting sponsor of CSNews’ Future Leaders in Convenience program.