Matthew Redmond, 31, Named 40 Under 40

Matthew Redmond, 31

President

Company: Raymer Oil Company (Fast Phil's)

Headquarters: Statesville, NC

Number of Stores: 30

Years at the Company: 8

Raymer Oil can trace its roots back to 1945 and remains a family enterprise. As a result, Matthew Redmond has been in and around c-stores all his life. His parents, who were single-store operators, first introduced him to the business.

Today, as the president of Raymer Oil Co., Redmond’s role includes identifying growth opportunities, looking for exciting new products, new initiatives and overseeing operations. Raymer Oil Co. operates 30 c-stores—a majority under the Fast Phil’s banner—in addition to 10 free-standing restaurants.

“I am very fortunate to have a great team surrounding me,” Redmond said.

The c-store industry continues to face evolving challenges, which Raymer Oil has seen firsthand. The biggest issue Redmond sees in his region is the ongoing tightness in the labor market, contributing to the company’s ongoing effort to find suitable employees.

Looking ahead to 2019, expanding its retail footprint and foodservice initiatives are among some of the items on the docket.

“We are still focusing on growing the number of company-operated stores while also trying to add deli operations to as many stores as possible,” Redmond said. “(We’re also) embracing available technology to continue to automate in areas that make the most sense.”

View the full 40 Under 40 December 2018 Issue