Jean Cetoute of Richlands, North Carolina, has won the 2016 Operation: Take Command contest's ultimate prize. This contest awards 7-Eleven franchises to qualified veterans throughout the country, and it's the second annual competition from the convenience franchise to encourage veteran franchisees. This year's contest saw a stunning 11,000 contestant entries, and Cetoute emerged the winner out of a pool of close to 1,900 contestants.
Before the final announcement, the retired Marine Corps staff sergeant said that after his 20 years of military service, he still wanted to continue serving, and the contest gave him that chance. The franchise, according to Cetoute, is a perfect fit because its format of working as a team to run a successful location matches with his military experience.
Contestants each posted a video online, and Cetoute's local campaign for online votes via "likes" placed him second among the top contestants. The veteran learned he was a finalist in May, and all of the finalists had a personal interview with former service member and brand CEO and President Joe DePinto.
DePinto spoke about the contest, saying that veterans are a natural fit with the convenience brand. It's a veteran's strong discipline, developed leadership skills, and his or her ability to handle daily challenges and deal with people that make them such strong additions to the brand.
7-Eleven franchise business for sale:
7-Eleven is a global convenience chain leader, with more than 56,000 stores across 17 countries and worldwide brand recognition. Currently, this industry leader has a franchise business for sale in many key markets, including New York, Texas, Florida, Arizona and Ohio. Qualified applicants must meet several criteria, including having excellent credit and no bankruptcy filing over the last seven years. The franchise fee ranges from $50,000 to $750,000.
