Wawa, which first opened in 1964 in the Philadelphia suburb of Folsom, Pa., is a convenience store/gas station chain that currently boasts about 900 stores along the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Pak-it began working with Wawa in the early 1990s. Back then, most convenience stores only provided a barebones coffee experience—drip coffee, one flavor, and a limited assortment of condiment options. Patrons who wanted more than cream and sugar (or a sugar substitute) were out of luck! But when Wawa decided to expand its coffee options to include a variety of brews and condiments, the company—a beloved staple in the Philadelphia area—reached out to Pak-it, another local Philly area-based company, to help design new coffee stations. Thus began a strong working relationship in its fourth decade that has covered many generations of coffee display racks.

Wawa is currently expanding southward, and Pak-it is growing with them. While Wawa’s coffee station is the flagship display, Pak-it’s entire Wawa display catalog now includes over 40 items. From various countertop displays to shelving add-ons for products such as bananas, chips, and newspapers.

The longstanding partnership brings many benefits to both companies. Both organizations know each other well. Wawa knows Pak-it’s capabilities, and Pak-it understands Wawa’s needs. The strong relationship also allows Pak-it to be proactive. Pak-it representatives often visit Wawa’s stores to identify potential problems and opportunities and propose solutions.

“It’s a much more straightforward communication,” says Konrad Giersz, Pak-it’s Director of Design and Engineering. “They know us very well. They know our team members, and we know theirs, so having that partnership streamlines communication. We can be much more upfront about what we think they might need or any potential issues we might run into in production.”

As a company, Pak-it is grateful to partner with a chain such as Wawa, which has an excellent reputation and significant brand loyalty, especially in greater Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“Myself included, people go there for lunch and get tasty, well-prepared sandwiches,” Giersz says. “Now Wawa has expanded into dinner with burgers, pizza, etc. Their food is freshly prepared, and it tastes delicious. They also do an excellent job staffing their stores. Their staff is typically very local to the particular store. So there’s always a lot of positive interaction between staff and guests.

“Also, they have invested in their stores. The stores are very clean, pleasant, and well-organized. They were one of the first convenience store chains to expand its coffee offerings. That also played a huge part in driving that loyalty because it’s a daily morning routine of going and getting coffee.”

Pak-it considers Wawa’s customer loyalty and brand recognition when working on a new project.

“We always try to maintain cohesion when designing new fixtures for them to ensure that everything matches store interiors and continue building on what they have established so far,” Giersz says. “Instead of introducing something different, we blend new fixtures with their existing looks to maintain the brand.”

Pak-it’s longstanding partnership with Wawa bodes well for the future.

“That collaboration continues to this day as they’re embarking on this new expansion and planning for the next ten years,” Giersz says. “We’re a part of that, working on exciting projects for their new stores. We look forward to the next ten years and seeing what they bring. We’re planning on expanding together. It’s a very exciting time.”

Like anywhere else, networking is the name of the game in the convenience and retail industries. Who you know is often as important as what you know.

That’s why, for Pak-it Displays, attending the 2022 C-StorePoint conference was such a positive experience. Last spring, President/CEO Joe Vozella, Director of Design and Engineering Konrad Giersz, and Southeast Regional Sales Director James Cook traveled to the annual networking event at Coronado Beach near San Diego.

According to its website, “C-StorePoint brings together retail executives responsible for the in-store experience, interior design, merchandising, fixturing, equipment and food service, with innovative suppliers seeking to innovate and expand their relationships and business.”

C-StorePoint provides unique marketing and networking opportunities with executives from potential new clients that are hard to find elsewhere. That’s what first drew Vozella’s attention.

When Vozella and his ownership group bought Pak-it in 2020, he brought 30 years of experience in the food processing industry. That included attending traditional trade shows … a LOT of trade shows.

“I could’ve gone to one every week,” he says. “That was our opportunity to market and sell the goods of our company. We had a booth the size of a football field with all the machinery in there.”

But at Pak-it, Vozella had to decide on the best marketing option for his new company in a different industry. He wondered, How do you get your name out there in this business? Do you go to a trade show? Do you put yourself in a trade journal?

After learning about C-StorePoint, Vozella quickly registered.

“It’s speed-dating,” Vozella says. “We accomplished what took three years at trade shows in a two-and-a-half-day window. Everyone you may want to talk to is there. Very efficient!”

Despite the scenic SoCal surroundings, the conference was all work and no play for the Pak-it team. A networking breakfast started each day at 7 am, followed by boardroom presentations to potential clients, where Pak-it presented successful rollouts of recent designs.

After a networking lunch, all three Pak-it members were assigned to separate tables. The afternoons were filled with industry-relevant seminars and several hours of one-on-one meetings. In addition, all attendees had access to a unique phone app where potential clients could see vendors’ afternoon availability and vice versa. That allowed for many important interactions and sales leads.

Then it was off to (a working) dinner — once again, with separate, assigned seating — and more post-dinner networking, complete with a drink in hand. Each day ended at 9:30 pm — or later.

“It was so well-organized and so well-run and so structured, we didn’t have a minute from 7:30 am until 9:30 pm every day,” Vozella says.

Giersz agrees. “There was a lot of opportunity to converse casually with a drink in your hand,” he says. “But of course, you’re always working while you have that drink. We went there with a goal in mind, and I think we achieved it. While it was an enjoyable experience, it was also quite intense because it was a long day. You’re constantly talking to people, asking about their needs, and connecting on new business. That being said, the event was enjoyable, and I think we plan to attend more of them in the future.”

Barely after returning to Pennsylvania, the Pak-it team had started working on new projects that materialized from C-StorePoint, including ongoing conversations with others they had met.

“I believe that’s a much better return on investment than traditional trade shows,” Vozella says.

We are pleased to announce that James Cook has joined Pak-it Displays as a Sales Director.

James brings 23 years of experience and knowledge to navigate the current retail environment and point-of-purchase industry.

His experience spans manufacturing, warehousing, remerchandising products, new store sets, promotions, and managing in-store labor and project execution.

While earning his degree from Gardner-Webb University, James worked in manufacturing, where he was a supervisor and internal auditor for quality control.

His extensive experience includes working with Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Dollar Tree, Stanley Black and Decker, Food Lion, and other national product suppliers.

As a Sales Director for Pak-it Displays, James will focus on new business development and the growth of existing accounts. His mission is to help customers achieve their vision and plan well-executed projects that ensure continued success.

This clean, modern display for La Colombe included cantilevered shelving, a shoppable design from three sides, and room for 48 single Latte cans or 12 four-packs per shelf.

With 30 cafes located across the country, La Colombe is one of the largest independently-owned coffee companies and the only vertically integrated ready-to-drink coffee company.

In this most critical time of transformation for the point-of-purchase industry, Konrad Giersz brings to the table a strong understanding of form and aesthetics, combined with a decade of experience. His solutions embrace creativity without sacrificing budgets and focus on the development of problem-solving programs.

After studying industrial design at the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York, Konrad has worked on projects for a variety of Fortune 500 companies. These include Fisher-Price, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Shaw Floors, Mohawk Industries, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Hershey’s, and Wawa Convenience Stores.

As Pak-it Displays’ director of creative and engineering services, Konrad’s mission will be to develop flexible retail systems that will help clients adapt and succeed in the new, highly competitive market.

We were pleased to donate one of our manufactured sanitizing stations to the Bensalem EMS Rescue Squad. We can’t thank them enough for providing aid to the victims of emergencies in our community through prevention, public education, and emergency services.

Local Bensalem Company donates hand sanitizing stations to Bensalem Municipal Complex.

Pak-it, a local business, has provided the Bensalem Township Municipal Building with free sanitizing stations to fight against Covid-19. Bob Mainart, Vice President of the company, stated, “We wanted to be team players and help our home community with this product, which is 73% alcohol, and the stands are sleek and don’t compromise a lot of space.”

“Anything we can do to protect people, especially our law enforcement and municipal workers during these unparalleled times, we feel is important,” Mainart continued. Mayor DiGirolamo welcomed this PPE and stated, “My administration has always been about the health, safety, and welfare of people, whether they live in Bensalem or are just visiting. Thank you to Pak-it Displays. We are grateful for their contribution.”

“We have been searching for hand sanitizer dispensers for our manufacturing shop and until now have been unsuccessful. After contacting Pak-it Displays, our problem was solved. They quickly determined our needs and were able to manufacture and deliver our units in just a few days. The quality far exceeded my expectations and with the refillable units I do not have to worry about chasing down the correct refill cartridge. Nice job Pak-It team!”

Ken Sanford, President
Malber Manufacturing Co.
Huntingdon Valley, PA

It was an honor to donate touchless hand sanitizing stations to Rev Scott E. McCue and The Catholic Community of St.Thomas More to use in their church and school buildings to provide a safe environment for their parishioners, students, and staff.

All pre-ordered Subway hand sanitizer stands and gel sanitizer will begin shipping June 30th and arrive at restaurants so customers can benefit from this additional safety measure.