kwik trip owner

Kwik Trip announces leadership changes; CEO, President of 22 years to retire

Don Zietlow (Courtesy: Kwik Trip)

(ABC 6 News) – Kwik Trip announced on Monday they will undergo some leadership changes effective Jan. 1, 2023 .

Donald P. Zietlow, CEO and President of Kwik Trip for the last 22 years, announced he is retiring effective Dec. 31, 2022 . Zietlow has been with the company for 52 years and was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all the coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs.

Kwik Trip says under Zietlow’s leadership, the company has grown its vertically integrated support center in La Crosse, including major capital investments in the dairy, kitchens, bakeries, and distribution center.

The company now operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

Scott Zietlow, the Chair of the Board of Kwik Trip and 2nd-generation owner, will become the company’s next President and CEO. Scott will be retiring from his role as a Professor of Surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery Division in Rochester to assume his new Kwik Trip responsibilities.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott Zietlow.

As part of the new leadership team, Tom Reinhart has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Jeff Wrobel will continue his role as Chief Financial Officer.

To learn more about Kwik Trip, CLICK HERE .

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Kwik Trip CEO and President Retires After 52 Years

Don Zietlow’s 52 years of leadership brought substantial growth to Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip.

November 28, 2022

LA CROSSE, Wisc.—Kwik Trip announced its CEO and president Donald P.  Zietlow is retiring, effective December 31, 2022. Zietlow has worked at Kwik Trip for 52 years and served as CEO and president for 22 years.

“Although Don attributes the success of Kwik Trip to the coworkers, his leadership has brought substantial growth and innovation,” said Kwik Trip in a statement.

The company operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan and is considered a leader in the convenience store industry.

Zietlow was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all the coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs. Under his leadership the company grew its vertically integrated support center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, including major capital investments in the dairy, kitchens, bakeries and distribution center.

On January 1, 2023, Kwik Trip’s chair of the board and second-generation owner Scott Zietlow will become Kwik Trip’s next president and CEO. Scott will be retiring from his role as a professor of surgery in the trauma, critical care and general surgery division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to assume his new responsibilities at Kwik Trip.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott.

As part of the new leadership team, Tom Reinhart has been appointed chief operating officer, and Jeff Wrobel will continue his role as chief financial officer.

Kwik Trip showcases its 800 th store in this 2022 NACS Ideas 2 Go segment. The next gen store, located in Holmes, Wisconsin, features an updated color scheme, new flooring and ample space for customers to shop the store.

FMN Magazine awarded Kwik Trip the first-ever FMN Fuels Innovator of the Year Awards at the 2022 NACS Show.

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Kwik Trip CEO and president to retire after 52 years with the company

Kwik Trip announced Monday that CEO and President Donald P. Zietlow will retire on Dec. 31.

Zietlow has been with Kwik Trip for 52 years and has served as CEO and president for 22 years.

The company now operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan.

"During his tenure, Don was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all the coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs. Under his leadership the company has grown its vertically integrated Support Center in La Crosse, including major capital investments in the dairy, kitchens, bakeries, and distribution center," Kwik Trip said in a statement Monday.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the Chair of the Board of Kwik Trip and second-generation owner, Scott Zietlow, will become Kwik Trip's next president and CEO. He will retire from his role as a Professor of Surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgery Division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott Zietlow.

Tom Reinhart has also been appointed Chief Operating Office and Jeff Wrobel will continue as Chief Financial Officer.

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Don Zietlow to retire as president and CEO of Kwik Trip at the end of 2022

The end of the year will mark the end of an era at Kwik Trip as Don Zietlow retires as president and CEO.

Zietlow has been at Kwik Trip for 52 years, including 22 as president and CEO, leading the company through growth and expansion to more than 800 locations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan, according to a news release from Kwik Trip. Throughout his leadership, Kwik Trip has grown its support center in La Crosse and invested in the company’s “vertical integration.” Kwik Trip makes Glazer doughnuts, for example, in its own bakery, they’re shipped on Kwik Trip’s trucks and they’re sold in Kwik Trip stores. The company has made major investments and dairy, kitchens, bakeries and distribution center under Zietlow's leadership.

Zietlow has been at Kwik Trip since almost the beginning. The company opened its first location in 1965 in Eau Claire, then its second in La Crosse in 1971. Earlier this year, Zietlow told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin it was a humble beginning − Kwik Trip started out as neighborhood grocery stores whose signs had painted letters cut out of plywood. He said Kwik Trip’s success boiled down to two ingredients: the right people and the ability to have products that guests want and are looking for and being able to offer them at a good deal.

Zietlow also invested in his employees, calling them his coworkers and sharing 40% of the company’s pre-tax profits.

“People are our No. 1 asset,” Zietlow told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in January. “There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.”

Kwik Trip employees have felt that appreciation over the years, as well. For a February story, employees told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin they appreciate the 40% profit share and that Zietlow treated them as coworkers, coming into work in a Kwik Trip uniform every day instead of a suit and tie. They said he was always open with them about the ins and outs of the company.

As news of Zietlow's retirement hit social media this week, members of a Facebook group called Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club shared their appreciation for him and his leadership at the company. Dozens of employees shared how much his kindness and leadership meant to them.

While Zietlow is preparing to retire at the end of the year, the company will remain in the family. Starting Jan. 1, Scott Zietlow will become the new president and CEO as a second-generation owner. Scott is currently the chair of the board of Kwik Trip, and he will be retiring as professor of surgery in the trauma, critical care and general surgery division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in order to serve in his new role at Kwik Trip.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip,” Scott said. “We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright.”

As part of the transition, Tom Reinhart will be the new chief operating officer, and Jeff Wrobel will continue as the chief financial officer.

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Kwik trip ceo and president steps down after 22 years.

Donald P. Zietlow is retiring, effective Dec. 31, 2022

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Kwik Trip CEO and President Donald P. Zietlow is retiring, effective Dec. 31, 2022.

According to a statement from Kwik Trip Inc., on Jan. 1, 2023, the chair of the board of Kwik Trip and second-generation owner, Scott Zietlow, will become Kwik Trip’s next President and CEO. Scott will be retiring from his role as a professor of surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery Division of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota to assume his new responsibilities at Kwik Trip.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott Zietlow.

Kwik Trip operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan and is considered a leader in the convenience store industry.

The company announced that also as part of the new leadership team, Tom Reinhart has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Jeff Wrobel will continue his role as Chief Financial Officer.

Kwik Trip announcing leadership change

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - After 52 years with Kwik Trip and 22 years as CEO and President, Donald Zietlow is retiring as of Dec. 31.

Zietlow attributes the success of Kwik Trip to his coworkers and employees, but it has been his leadership that has brought substantial growth and innovation to the company. Now with more than 800 locations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan, he is considered to be one of the leaders in the convenience store industry.

During his tenure, Zietlow was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all of his coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs. The company has grown its vertically integrated Support Center in La Crosse under his leadership including major capital investments in multiple distribution centers.

His son, Scott Zietlow, who is Chair of the Board of Kwik Trip and retiring from his own role as professor of surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgery Division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, will become the next President and CEO. “I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Zietlow.

Tom Reinhart has been appointed COO and Jeff Wrobel has been appointed CFO as part of the company’s new leadership team.

Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.

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Kwik Trip continues to grow by leaps and bounds. A look at that growth by the numbers

The Kwik Trip juggernaut continues to roll.

In the past four years, the La Crosse-based company has added more than 150 locations to its network of convenience stores, while diving full-on into new product lines like the ready-to-eat meals it rolled out in 2020.

Behind that public-facing growth, there's a vast, often unnoticed operation that churns out bakery, salads, meals and more, and delivers it daily to the company's 800-plus locations.

This week, Kwik Trip announced a $151 million expansion of its La Crosse food production, distribution and office operations that will position the company for further growth while creating up to 500 new jobs.

Here's a by the numbers look at Kwik Trip and its growth:

866 locations and counting

The first Kwik Trip opened in La Crosse in 1971, and it took 15 years for the company to reach 100 locations.

Growth accelerated from there, as the company opened 500 stores over the next 20 years, and more than 300 since 2016.

Recent growth has included both newly built locations and the acquisition of 168 existing stores, including 34 PDQ stores in Wisconsin and 36 Stop-N-Go locations in Wisconsin and Illinois.

The company's most recent addition, a location in Sturgeon Bay , opened Dec. 14.

Kwik Trip's 506 Wisconsin convenience stores make up the majority of its locations, but it also has grown in other states. It operates another 360 Kwik Trip and Kwik Star stores in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, and South Dakota.

Workforce is 38,600 - tripled in five years

Kwik Trip employs 38,600 people between its stores, its corporate headquarters and its food production and distribution operations.

Much of that workforce is in Wisconsin, where the company has 12,442 full-time employees, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. That's nearly triple the 3,432 full-time workers it employed just five years ago.

More than 13,000 people work at Kwik Trip's Wisconsin locations part time.

More: Why are Kwik Trip employees passionate about the company? Here are four good reasons.

24,000 Glazers an hour

According to its website, Kwik Trip's La Crosse bakerycan make 400 Glazer donuts a minute, or 24,000 an hour.

That added up to 45 million of the company's signature donuts in 2022, and millions more of other baked goods such as cookies, muffins and sandwich buns, all of which are shipped to the stores daily. The company also has its own dairy operation and a commissary operation that makes Kwik Trip's pizzas, ready to eat meals, salads and more.

In all, Kwik Trip says about 80% of the products it sells are prepared at its La Crosse production plants. That vertical integration - food production, transportation and retail sales - has been a key to the company's growth.

The $151 million expansion will add to that operation and also include development of a new office building in Onalaska.

Kwik Rewards keeps more than 1 million people coming back

Kwik Trip launched Kwik Rewards, its customer loyalty program, in 2018. The program allows regular customers to earn discounts on food and gas and to receive coupons and special offers that are exclusive to Kwik Rewards.

More than 1 million people signed up in that first year. Today, nearly 4 million people are enrolled in the rewards program.

The company said it serves 11.5 million customers a week.

More: This Kwik Trip super fan made it her 2021 goal to visit Wisconsin's 457 Kwik Trips. She did it.

$41 million in state tax credits help fuel Kwik Trip growth

The company's expansion of its food products and distribution operations in La Crosse has been assisted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., through its Enterprise Zone Tax Credit program .

At the outset, the company was awarded up to $21 million in tax credits that were tied to the company's plan to invest $309 million in the La Crosse campus and create 300 new jobs. An additional $5 million was awarded when the project had exceeded that goal and created more than 500 jobs. In all, the expansion has led to the creation of 1,793 full-time jobs, according to WEDC.

An additional $15 million was approved by WEDC earlier this month with the expectation that the $151 million expansion will create an additional 500 full-time jobs over the next decade.

Here's what's replacing the former Kwik Trip on Wisconsin Avenue | The Buzz

GRAND CHUTE - The former Kwik Trip at 3825 W. Wisconsin Ave. is being demolished to make room for a new retail business.

The Town of Grand Chute has approved the construction of a Carpet City Flooring Center at the location.

The project includes a full redevelopment of the former Kwik Trip site, constructing a new, 10,200 square-foot building. Site access will come from a single driveway on West Wisconsin Avenue with a loading dock on the southeast corner of the building.

Carpet City was founded in Wausau in 1973 and has locations in 12 Wisconsin cities. It's the state's largest floor-covering chain.

Construction on the site has already begun. The developer, Bayland Buildings, did not respond to requests for comments on when the project would be complete.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Here's what's replacing the former Kwik Trip on Wisconsin Avenue | The Buzz