Retailer Salutes Veterans with Jobs, Business
Opportunities
7-Eleven, Inc.
has been named one of the Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers, a
list published annually by G.I. Jobs magazine.
7-Eleven
® was the only
food
retailer included and, among all retailers on the list, ranked
third.
In 2009,
7-Eleven
introduced a military veterans'
franchise
program offering discounted
franchise
fees to retired or separated veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
who have been honorably discharged from the service. Qualified
veterans
who become first-time 7-Eleven franchisees receive a 10% discount
on the initial
franchise
fee for the 1st 7-Eleven® store they franchise. This discount can
range from $1,000 up to approximately $35,000, depending on the
store.
Since the program launched 18 months ago, 16 veterans have
become 7-Eleven franchisees. Another 18 have applied to become
new franchisees. The new business owners have served in the U.S.
Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines.
"Being named as one of the top military friendly employers is
one of the greatest honors our organization could receive," said
7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto, a graduate of the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point and former U.S. Army officer.
DePinto has extended the military-friendly environment to the
company's home office in Dallas as well as its field offices
across the country.
"The military is an outstanding training ground," DePinto
said. "It teaches and instills values based leadership and the
qualities of adaptability, perseverance and a 'can-do' mentality.
These traits are important to military personnel, but also much
sought after in the business world."
Dennis Wallis, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air
Force in 1977, and his wife, Sandi, were the first to take
advantage of 7-Eleven's veterans' program. The couple acquired a
7-Eleven
franchise
in Redmond, Ore., in late 2009.
Wallis said the most rewarding aspect of their new business
has been the number of new friends they have met in the
community. "We can't go anywhere in town where we don't run into
people we've met as customers in our store."
G.I. Jobs' rankings of the Top 100 Military Friendly
Employers® are based on a survey that assesses a company's
long-term commitment to hiring former military, recruiting and
hiring efforts and results, policies for Reserve/Guard members
called to active duty and the presence of special recruitment
military programs. For its policies for active-duty Reserve and
Guard members, 7-Eleven scored in the top 10 of all ranked
companies on the G.I. Jobs list and placed 41 overall.
Approximately 5,000 U.S. companies (with a minimum of $500
million in annual revenues) were eligible for the Top 100. Only 2
percent made the list.
7-Eleven
actively recruits for new franchisees and management trainees at
military job fairs and advertises in military-focused
publications about opportunities with the company. Later this
year, the company plans a cause-marketing campaign with its
National Coalition of
franchise
Owners Associations and a number of its suppliers to benefit a
military
veterans
hiring campaign.
Veteran's Program Mission Statement
As the world's largest convenience retailer,
7-Eleven
works to bring our 80-year tradition of service and quality to
the hometowns of returning veterans through partnerships that
help them become business owners in their communities and the
architects of their futures.
We at
7-Eleven
understand that being grateful for your service means we need to
do more than speak in platitudes. We feel it is our duty to do
our best to help our veterans do their best. Our Military
Veterans
Franchisee Program is our way of mobilizing our gratitude and
turning words into achievements.
Our
Veterans
Program offers a way for you to build a stable business, provide
for your family and become part of the social fabric of your
community. If you are interested in learning more,
Apply Now
and complete the application. One of our
franchise
specialists will get in touch with you shortly thereafter.