Michael Newman of NOCO Express LLC Elected to NY Convenience Store Hall of Fame

TONAWANDA, NY (04/29/2013)(readMedia)-- The New York Association of Convenience Stores has announced that Michael Newman, Executive Vice President of NOCO Express LLC, Tonawanda NY, has been elected to the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame.

Michael and his brother James are the third generation of the Newman family to operate Tonawanda NY-based NOCO Energy Corp., which distributes petroleum and operates 40 NOCO Express convenience stores throughout Western New York. NOCO is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

Michael has served on the NYACS Retail Board since 2004, and was elected Chairman in May 2010. During his chairmanship, NYACS overturned a sharp increase in state registration fees, saving member stores hundreds if not thousands of dollars annually, and helped pass legislation to curb cigarette tax evasion.

He currently chairs NYACS' Legislative and Nomination committees, has co-chaired its Chairmen's Open Golf Tournament, and serves on its Executive Committee. On the national level, he is on the board of SIGMA, a national trade group representing motor fuel marketers.

Michael and his company are extremely active in Western New York community organizations. He holds a BS in Finance and an MBA in Finance and Business Administration from Canisius College. He and his wife Marcy have a son, Max, and a daughter, Kylie.

The Hall of Fame honors individual retailers and suppliers for exceptional achievement in the convenience store industry and exemplary service to NYACS. Also being inducted is the late Jay Jones, long-time sales manager for Rochester NY-based Genesee Brewing Co., later known as High Falls Brewing Co.

In addition, Fran Duskiewicz, Senior Executive Vice President of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, Canastota NY, is the 2013 recipient of NYACS' Carl Tripi Award for "low-profile, high-impact" contributions to the convenience store industry. It is named in honor of the late Carl Tripi, who was Chairman of Buffalo-based Tripifoods Inc.

NYACS will honor Newman, Jones and Duskiewicz at its Chairman's Banquet on Thursday, May 16 in Syracuse NY, the closing event of the annual NYACS Trade Show and Convention. Friends and colleagues are invited to register to attend by visiting www.nyacs.org.

Headquartered in Albany, NYACS is a private, not-for-profit member organization that leads, safeguards, and forges a favorable environment for New York State's diverse community of neighborhood convenience stores. It provides vital knowledge, a unified voice on legislative and regulatory issues, and ways for members to share ideas, address common challenges, and build relationships.