Carl Bolch, Jr. Appointed Chairman Emeritus After More Than Five Decades of Distinguished Service to RaceTrac, Inc.
24 Abril 2024 - 4:55AM
After 56 years of company leadership as chairman of the board, the
RaceTrac, Inc. board of directors unanimously voted Carl Bolch, Jr.
into the role of chairman emeritus. The official vote was held
during the last board of directors meeting.
During the same board of directors’ vote, current CEO of
RaceTrac, Inc., Natalie Morhous, was appointed chairman of the
board.
Carl Bolch, Jr. joined the company, founded by his father Carl
Bolch Sr., and led the transformation of RaceTrac into a
high-volume, retail fuel discounter and leader in the convenience
store industry, including pioneering self-service fueling in the
South.
By embracing change and innovation while championing customer
convenience, Bolch Jr. led RaceTrac to become Georgia’s second
largest privately held company and 18th largest in the U.S. He grew
the RaceTrac® and RaceWay® brands from 100 stores in two states to
more than 800 stores across 13 states. In addition, RaceTrac, Inc.
now employs more than 10,500 team members across its two divisions
(RaceTrac® and RaceWay®) and affiliated companies (Metroplex
Energy, Energy Dispatch and as of December of 2023, Gulf Oil).
“RaceTrac was transformed because of Carls’s incredible
foresight, insatiable intellect, business acumen and what he
somewhat reluctantly would call ‘vision,’” said Max Lenker, a board
director at RaceTrac. “It is impossible to summarize the indelible
mark Carl has made on RaceTrac, the fuel and convenience store
industries and society as a whole. He truly is an inspiration to us
all.”
“It is the honor of my life to carry on my father’s legacy and
steer the growth and development of RaceTrac into the future,” said
Natalie Morhous, CEO of RaceTrac, Inc. “My family and I have so
much confidence in our exceptional board and leadership team and
know that RaceTrac, Inc. will continue to flourish and evolve to
meet the needs of our guests.”
During his storied career, Bolch Jr. earned countless
appointments and acknowledgments. He is a past president of the
Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America and a past
chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores—the
first person ever to helm both leading trade associations. In 2009,
Bolch Jr. was named Retail Leader of the Year by Convenience Store
News and Petroleum (CSP) and was inducted into the Convenience
Store News Hall of Fame.
Bolch Jr. has also made a substantial impact on his community in
other ways, including as a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club for
over twenty-five years and as a member of the Board of Directors of
Camp Sunshine. He also serves on the Patient Council for The
Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson’s Research and is a
pivotal reason RaceTrac and its guests have contributed more than
$8 million to MJFF over the past decade.
Additionally, Bolch Jr. and his wife Susan Bass Bolch founded
the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke University School of Law in
2018. The institute provides unique educational opportunities for
sitting judges in the U.S. and around the world, conducts research,
supports teaching and scholarship, and develops civic education
initiatives to advance its mission.
RaceTrac remains a privately held, family-run
company with third generation leadership including CEO Natalie
(Bolch) Morhous, chief brand officer Melanie (Bolch) Isbill and
board member Jordan Bolch.
About RaceTrac,
Inc. Headquartered in Atlanta,
Georgia, family-owned RaceTrac is the 18th largest privately held
company in the United States and has been serving guests since
1934. RaceTrac has nearly 800 retail locations representing the
RaceTrac® and RaceWay® brands in 13 states offering guests an
affordable one-stop-shop featuring competitively priced fuel plus a
wide selection of food and beverage favorites, including freshly
brewed coffee. RaceTrac employs more than 10,500 team members
across RaceTrac, RaceWay and affiliated companies Metroplex Energy,
Energy Dispatch and Gulf Oil.
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James Taylor
jtaylor@fulltiltconsulting.com