7-Eleven Triple Crown: All Three Military Veteran Finalists Win a Store in Operation: Take Command Contest

7-Eleven Triple Crown: All Three Military Veteran Finalists Win a Store in Operation: Take Command Contest

7-Eleven, Inc. hit a triple in Operation: Take Command, the contest to award a U.S. military veteran a 7-Eleven® store. Although one finalist was expected to emerge in the last round of the competition, all three finalists were selected as winners.

Active-duty Active Duty U.S. Army Captain Robert Kemna of Miami (currently stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C.), Army veteran Salil Gautam of Chesapeake, Va., and U.S. Navy veteran Mark Anthony Page of Granbury, Texas, will all become business-owners of their own 7-Eleven franchise.

As the last step in the almost six-month long contest, the three finalists interviewed with 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto, an Army veteran himself, last week at the company’s home office in Dallas. So impressed was he by the caliber of the three Operation: Take Command finalists that DePinto made an on-the-spot executive decision.

“How can you pick just one winner when you have three?” DePinto asked. “I was extremely impressed by each one of them – for overcoming adversity, serving their country selflessly, having a heart for service and demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. These are the kind of folks we want in the 7-Eleven system. They are all too deserving not to win.

“7-Eleven is a franchise-centric company focused on how we can best support our franchisees,” DePinto added. “We are proud of our independent franchise business-owners who love Brand 7-Eleven and tirelessly serve the customers in their communities every day. I look forward to welcoming these three new franchisees to the 7-Eleven family.”

For more information about the winners, go to www.VeteransFranchiseGiveaway.com

Photo Caption: Winners in Triplicate – Instead of selecting just one winner in its Operation: Take Command franchise giveaway contest for veterans, 7-Eleven is awarding a 7-Eleven store to each of the three finalists. From left, U.S. Navy veteran Mark Anthony Page, active-duty U.S. Army Reserves and Guard Captain Robert Kemna and U.S. Army veteran Salil Gautam. More than 1,700 U.S. veterans entered the contest to win a 7-Eleven store.