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Chain Drugstore Daily Monday, August 27, 2018 5 0 Reliability, Reputation Built and Sustain MIGHTY FLAME An interview with Jonah DiSanto, Chief Executive Officer, MIGHTY FLAME. CDD: Tell our readers about your company. JD: The DiSanto family is very proud of our family-owned business. Four genera- tions of DiSantos have worked, lived and raised our families in the historic Erie Canal Village of Clyde, New York, in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region. From the beginning, the mission statement of MIGHTY FLAME has been to deliver the most convenient, cost-effective and reliable way for folks to exchange their empty BBQ cylinder for a fresh, full BBQ cylinder. In 1986, the DiSanto family intro- duced the MIGHTY FLAME Propane Cylinder Exchange Program to the mar- ket. Even after three decades, the MIGHTY FLAME Propane Cylinder Exchange Program is relevant for today's brick-and-mortar convenience stores, with locations 'right on the way home' to hundreds of neighborhood propane grills. These c-store operators understand the importance of turning their store exterior into a productive profit center. CDD: What is your company most proud of? JD: Today, the MIGHTY FLAME brand is recognized as an energizing force behind the growing American propane cylinder exchange market. We believe that service and reliability is the corner- stone of all long-term relationships, and we're proud of our commitment to each and every MIGHTY FLAME retail out- let. We're recognized as suppliers of the highest-quality product in the industry, and we're proud to stand behind our MIGHTY FLAME guarantee: the retail store will never run out of propane. Ever. MIGHTY FLAME stands behind our Replenish Point Guarantee to ensure that MIGHTY FLAME retailers never run out of propane, your MIGHTY FLAME cylinder inventory never falls below 40-50 percent full, and MIGHTY FLAME delivers cylinders to retail out- lets. Automatically. CDD: Are there any new products being launched? JD: The MIGHTY FLAME Propane Cylinder Exchange Program is the high- est quality program available in the mar- ket today. We continue to produce the highest quality products and supply the best propane to the market. The MIGHTY FLAME reputation for 100 percent reliability is the backbone to our business, and the MIGHTY FLAME rep- utation for 100 percent reliability is what we are marketing. In addition, the MIGHTY FLAME Tamper-Resistant Shrink Wrap Sleeve is produced with meticulous attention-to- detail and designed to guarantee the integrity and quality of every MIGHTY FLAME cylinder purchased. Our state-of- the-art propane Cylinder Refurbishing and Safety Inspection guarantees that each and every MIGHTY FLAME propane cylin- der is clean and freshly painted, precision- filled, leak-tested, fully inspected and cer- tified and MIGHTY FLAME branded for delivery to retail partners. CDD: How do your products or services help your customers compete in their marketplace? JD: MIGHTY FLAME increases profit margins for our retail partners. With auto- matic delivery of MIGHTY FLAME cylinders, the customer is guaranteed a fresh, full BBQ cylinder, resulting in happy, repeat customers. Our current retail partners recognize and appreciate the high-quality MIGHTY FLAME product. For more information, go to www.mightyflame.com or call 877.438.6444. GasBuddy Business Pages Launches Market Share Intelligence Solutions Knowing yourself is half the battle. But wouldn't it be great to know more about yourself and your competitors? Today's leading fuel retailers and convenience store chains understand the importance of taking a data-driven, holis- tic view of their business. Whether it's competitive benchmarking to identify high and low performers, or the analysis of consumer engagement trends, a data- driven approach is essential for success in today's hyper-competitive market. GasBuddy Business Pages is offer- ing the ultimate competitive advantage: its Market Share Intelligence solution. Already an industry leader in reputation management, business listings and loyal- ty integration, these additional capabili- ties provide retailers with meaningful insights about the market and their com- petitors. How does your coffee, customer service and restroom quality compare to your competition? What about your fuel pricing? Are your stores busier than your competitors' locations, or are they slowly falling behind? These new features allow you to compare your stores against regional and national competitors across the following categories: overall GasBuddy ratings, fuel pricing, specific ratings categories, brand engage- ment, foot traffic ratio and com- petitive index. Additionally, GasBuddy Business Pages has expanded its brand engagement metrics to enhance your ability to com- pare and analyze your stores. Do cus- tomers stay and shop at some stores, but fill up and drive away at others? Do cus- tomers actively rate and review some stores while others are ignored? This information and more is avail- able through the new Market Share Intelligence solution from GasBuddy Business Pages. About GasBuddy GasBuddy is a smartphone app connect- ing drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop™. With nearly 70 million downloads, GasBuddy is a leader in crowd- sourced information to help drivers find the best gas prices, closest stations, friend- liest service, cleanest restrooms, tastiest coffee and much more. GasBuddy Business Pages helps fuel brands and convenience store owners meet the demands of today's technology- driven, customer-centric marketplace. Connect with millions of engaged con- sumers, monitor foot traffic, promote store sites and amenities, increase sales and stay competitive – all from one easy- to-use dashboard. For more information, go to www .gasbuddy.com or email pages@ gasbuddy.com. Keeping Food Fresh and Safe By Anne Miller, Integrated Control Corp. There is simply no better way to ensure consumer loyalty than to repeatedly deliver a consistent customer experience. Nowhere is that truer than in the serving of fresh, delicious food. For many c- stores, foodservice is a new store profit center focus. Aptly so, as convenience is becoming the perfect answer to that "one stop shop" for the perfect meal and take- home staples. With everyone fighting for the discretionary food dollar, how are you ensuring that you are providing the best to your customers? Unlike typical convenience staples, food must delight consumer senses on several different levels. Appetizing dis- plays, attractively packaged, can boost sales significantly. Unlike QSR, c-stores have to prep fresh and packaged food to visual inventory levels to achieve that "just made, stocked" feel. Preparing this way requires very dynamic prep and serve methods with flexible operational tools used throughout the process. This is especially true to control waste and ensure food safety standards are met. These operational standards are very dif- ferent from the typical shelf stock meth- ods historically used. To be successful, each brand and operator needs to arm themselves with the right tools to opti- mize operational efficiencies and con- sumer expectation. Your foodservice technology tool arsenal should include easy to use prod- ucts that save you time and money. To start, Integrated Control suggests two "must haves": an on-demand label print- er and an automated temperature data collection and reporting system. Why an on-demand label printer? Easy – a flexible tool can support good prep, package labeling, register transac- tions and site training all in one. When shopping for a tool, it is most important to select one that minimizes your need to inventory different label materials. The perfect answer is a printer that can utilize continuous media, thereby allowing you to print only what you need when you need it. With such a device, you can print prep, inventory and grab 'n' go labels in any size, with any content you need, including logos, bar, nutritional facts or QR codes. A perfect choice is the all new Teach 'n' Touch™ Printer from Integrated Control Corp. Teach 'n' Touch, the latest addition to ICC's line of i.Print™ on-demand label printers, is now the most technologically advanced device of its kind in the market. In addition to using superior, linerless media that offers the ultimate in flexibil- ity, the graphical touchscreen interface offers the capability to hold a complete quick reference library for on the spot training and coaching. ICC, of course, offers the same flexible customization and wireless update options that have made them the choice for quality c-store operations. Printers can be wirelessly "connected" for remote printing. The printer and media are at very attractive price points and are guaranteed to reduce costs for labor and waste and operational complexity. The second "must have" device is a wireless temperature monitoring system. While many new refrigeration options have digital temperature displays, an alert and reporting system can save you hours of hand logging (required by local health officials) and offer one platform for cold and hot holding and line checks. When shopping for a system, it is important to select an option that installs wirelessly without cabinet drilling. Another "nice to have" is a unit that enables you to see on site any active alerts or status situations. This should be in addition to a cloud app that can be accessed from any- where. The ideal temperature system should also have an integrated wireless tool for HACCP tasks such as active line checks. A very effective new addition to the market is ICC's Scan'n'Temp™. With this device, critical tasks can be recorded to remind employees of both scheduled and unscheduled temps. Corrective actions can be recorded right on the spot with wireless cloud updates for food safety reviews. An integrated platform approach to food safety can help you to achieve a profitable foodservice program that delivers fresh, safe product and increases customer loyalty. For more information, contact Carol Duprez at 877.ICC.8788.