Hess will use new role to create retail growth strategy for company
BUFFALO, N.Y. (Feb. 19, 2008) – Delaware North Companies has promoted Jeff Hess to the new position of vice president of retail.
Hess will be responsible for the development of standards, processes, policies and measures for Delaware North’s entire retail function, which accounts for more than $300 million of the company’s annual revenue.
Hess has been preparing for this role throughout his 18 years with the company. He began his work with Delaware North in 1989 as senior buyer. Since then, he’s worked as a director of retail and marketing, as well as the director of Delaware North’s open-air markets. Hess also served as a regional vice president of operations for Delaware North Companies Sportservice.
Most recently, Hess served as the corporate director of quality assurance for GuestPath®, the company’s customer service program. In that role, he managed and oversaw the company’s quality assurance platform and worked closely with subsidiary executives and their management teams to ensure successful implementation and continued process improvement.
“Jeff’s retail expertise coupled with his longstanding experience with the company will enable him to solidify and develop Delaware North’s retail strategy,” said Dennis J. Szefel, chief administrative officer. “His familiarity with the company and its executive team will help him as he works to ensure retail processes are effectively implemented at all locations. He will also collaborate with business line leaders to establish annual and strategic business goals for retail lines of business.”
Better known as a food service company, Delaware North owns or manages retail stores across all division lines. In Yosemite National Park, where the company handles nearly all visitor services under the terms of the largest contract in the U.S. National Park Service, it operates gift shops, grocery stores, fueling stations and outdoor stores such as the one that sells specialized mountain-climbing gear.
Its airport retail endeavors have resulted in numerous industry awards, and Sportservice handles retail shops at the stadiums, ballparks and arenas of a number of major professional teams, including the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Bears. Sportservice also engineered the retail program at the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, the first outdoor National Hockey League game to be played in the United States.
A native of Western New York, Hess was graduated by the University at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a concentration in public relations and advertising.