James A. “Jim” Haslam II, founder of Pilot Corp. and chairman emeritus of Pilot Flying J, will receive the Hall of Fame award from NATSO, the trade association representing the truckstop and travel plaza industry.
Haslam’s award will be presented to him by his son, James A. “Jimmy” Haslam III, on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at The NATSO Show at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.
The Hall of Fame Award recognizes individuals for notable participation in their communities, the truckstop and travel plaza industry and in NATSO. NATSO members nominate candidates for the award, and NATSO’s executive committee and past Hall of Fame recipients select the winner.
Haslam first entered the fueling industry in 1958 with one gas station. He continued to open stations and within seven years he had 12 locations in three states. Pilot opened its first travel plaza in 1981. Today Pilot Flying J is one of the largest travel center chains in the country with more than 650 locations and about $30 billion in sales in 2011.
“Mr. Haslam clearly had a vision of what similarities there were in the convenience store business and the truckstop business and how he could make the transition from the convenience store sphere to the truckstop world, and did it phenomenally well,” said Roger Cole, president of Highway Service Ventures and NATSO’s 2013 Chairman and former Hall of Fame recipient. “They moved into a business model that focused on speed, economy and efficiency.”
