Maverik Joins Partnership for a Healthier America

Retailer aims to promote healthier food choices with new partnership.

May 03, 2018

WASHINGTON – Maverik—Adventure’s First Stop—announced that it has joined the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to ensure children and families across the country have healthier options available wherever they are.

Maverik’s Executive Director of Marketing Ernie Harker is excited about the three-year partnership. “Convenience stores are well known for delicious, but less-than-healthy product offerings, but over the past several years Maverik has been introducing freshly made salads, wraps, fresh sandwiches and more as part of our effort to support customers who are looking for something healthier. Our commitment to PHA strengthens our efforts to promote an active, healthy lifestyle because adventures aren’t fun when you’re not healthy enough to enjoy them!”

In addition to providing healthier packaged and made-to-order options, Maverik is ensuring healthier options are affordable and heavily promoted year-round. Maverik is also the first PHA convenience store partner to expand healthier beverages in both the cooler case and at the fountain machine.

For a six-week period during every summer of the commitment, Maverik will support PHA’s mission to encourage people to Drink Up through a cause marketing campaign where Maverik will donate 5 cents from every private-label bottled water to PHA with a guaranteed minimum of $25,000.

“We are proud to acknowledge the innovative work that Maverik is doing to make healthier options available to families wherever they are,” said Partnership for a Healthier America CEO Nancy Roman. “Through their exemplary efforts to increase access to healthier foods in their stores, Maverik and its industry peers have truly put themselves on the front lines of the fight against childhood obesity.”

NACS announced a commitment with PHA in May 2017, becoming the first retail-association partner. Through its commitment, NACS is relying on PHA’s resources and expertise to help conveniences stores provide more visibility to healthier choices inside their stores.

In addition to Maverik, eight NACS retailer members have joined PHA in previously announced commitments: Kwik Trip (La Crosse, WI), Sheetz (Altoona, PA), Vintner’s Inc. dba Loop Neighborhood Market (Fremont, CA), Twice Daily (Nashville, TN), enmarket (Savannah, GA), Ricker’s (Anderson, IN), Aloha Petroleum (Honolulu, HI), and Cumberland Farms (Westborough, MA). Five NACS distributor members also have joined PHA: McLane Company, Core-Mark International, Esstar, Harold Levinson Associates and S. Abraham & Sons.

Maverik was founded by Reuel Call in Afton, Wyoming, in 1928, and has grown to more than 315 stores in 10 states to become the largest independent fuel marketer in the Intermountain West. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maverik currently employs 3,700 adventure guides and has aggressive growth plans, including expansion into the Las Vegas, Denver and Spokane markets. As Adventure’s First Stop, Maverik lives up to its brand promise to be the first place to go to get ready for adventure.

PHA’s mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to bring lasting systemic changes that improve the food supply, increase healthy choices, increase physical activity and contribute to a culture of health. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with—but independent from—Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA identifies, accelerates and celebrates voluntary business practices that improve or increase choice or lead to new norms and behavior around food and physical activity.

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