How did Wag-A-Bag get its start?
My mom and dad opened their first convenience store in 1964 in Round Rock.  We lived in Austin where my dad worked as a suit salesman at Sears and my mother for a local radio station.  My dad had the bright idea to open a drive-in convenience store in what we jokingly referred to as the “big town of Round Rock,” which at the time had a population of 1,800.  It became clear to my dad that to manage the store properly they would need to move to Round Rock.  My mom remembers saying “who in their right mind would ever want to move from Austin to Round Rock!?”  Eventually, the move to Round Rock became a reality and because of their foresight and perseverance, 53 years later we are still in operation and have expanded operations throughout Central Texas.  In 2004 I became President, and today we have 18 locations located in Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Hutto, Liberty Hill, and Austin with a workforce of 175 employees.

WAG•A•BAG™ is a very unique name for a convenience store.  Can you tell me a little bit more about the store name and logo?
My parents were raising dachshunds when the original store was opened.  People inquire as to the WAG•A•BAG™ logo and the dog tipping the grocery sack.  A good friend helped in the development of the logo but one of the dogs probably did tip a sack of groceries at some point in time.

How did you first get involved with the Texas Food & Fuel Association?
I grew up on the grocery side of the industry and attended Texas Retails and Grocers Association events from a young age.  In fact, my dad was TRGA president in 1979.  TRGA changed its name to Texas Food Industry Association (TFIA) which is where I first met Paul Hardin, the current president of the Texas Food & Fuel Association (TFFA).  Another name change created the Texas Grocery and Convenience Association (TGCA) where I was fortunate to serve as Chairman of the Board during 2006 and 2007.   
TGCA eventually merged with the Texas Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association (TPCA) to form TFFA, and I am honored to serve as chairman of the board.

What are some of the challenges facing fuel marketers and convenience retailers?
TFFA has many challenges ahead but opportunities as well.  Challenges include the mergers and acquisitions which have become increasingly more common, we now see so often, competition where Amazon is now experimenting with drive-in convenience kiosks; or the German grocery chain Aldi who has big plans for expansion in the Texas market and claim they are 21% cheaper than Walmart.  Dollar General opened 900 stores last year and plan another 1000 new stores this year.  

I am a firm believer that challenges also create opportunities — and TFFA is dedicated to ensuring the success of its members as we navigate through an increasingly complex industry.

What are some of TFFA’s upcoming priorities?
I’ll start with saying we need to elect a new Commissioner for the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 2018.  TDA has increased registration dispenser fees from 66% on multi-hose dispensers to almost 600% on bulk meters.  I testified during the 85th Texas Legislative Session in favor of House Bill 2174, which was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on June 15, 2017.  HB 2174 allows retailers to inspect and calibrate dispensers using a licensed 3rd party company and require that certified fuel quality lab results must be required before TDA can shut down our stations.  

We will continue to concentrate on membership recruitment.  I will be calling many existing members to actively recruit their counterparts.  Yes they may be competitors, but we all win when TFFA has a more powerful voice in Austin with the legislature and with regulatory agencies.  TFFA will transition back to a calendar year beginning January 1, 2018.  This will eliminate confusion where membership operated on a calendar year with budget and financials operating on a fiscal year. 

Do you have any last comments for members, prospective members, and others who interact with TFFA?
I encourage everyone to get involved and take advantage of the excellent year-round educational and networking opportunities TFFA provides during its Summits and the Southwest Fuel & Convenience Expo.  I The greater the amount of involvement the stronger TFFA becomes, and that starts by attending a conference, participating in a golf tournament, contributing to the PAC, joining the 181 Club, and volunteering for one of many committees.  

Whether it’s a grocery, tobacco, fuel or regulatory issues — we all need everyone more involved so we can achieve common goals so that our businesses can thrive.  I believe TFFA has the industry’s best and first-class staff, an unbelievable board, and a membership that is eager to get involved.  

I’ll close by saying that I am honored to begin this journey as the chairman of TFFA and I pledge to give it my best as we meet the challenges ahead and move this association forward.