Travel center chain Road Ranger named Jason Ricks its new vice president of operations earlier this month, according to a social media announcement from Ricks.
A spokesperson from Rocket Car Wash — Ricks’ former employer, where he was chief operating officer — confirmed on Wednesday that Ricks left the company “a couple weeks ago” in June.
Before joining Road Ranger, Ricks spent about a year and half with Rocket Car Wash, which operates over 20 locations across Nebraska, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and California. Just last month, Ricks helped the company acquire the three-location Zipline Carwash chain as part of its “aggressive growth strategy.”
Prior to Rocket Car Wash, Ricks was vice president of operations for Nebraska c-store retailer Taylor Quik Pik for 10 months, and held the same role for nearly five years before that with Bucky’s Convenience Stores, whose parent company, Buchanan Energy, was acquired by Casey’s General Stores in 2020.
Ricks has also held various management roles with EG America-owned Turkey Hill Minit Markets and Kwik Shop. At the latter, he was responsible for the daily operations of three different 10-store districts, according to his LinkedIn bio.
Additionally, Ricks spent two years as a district manager for Burger King franchisee Heartland Food Corp., where he managed nine company-owned restaurants, more than 40 managers and 250 crew members.
A Road Ranger spokesperson did not respond by press time to an inquiry for more details on Ricks’ hiring, including who he has succeeded in his new position.
Founded in 1984, Schaumburg, Illinois-based Road Ranger is the fourth-largest travel center chain in the U.S., with 47 locations along highways in Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa. It offers numerous amenities for both professional drivers and everyday travelers, including dog parks and partnerships with a number of QSRs, including Ranger Kitchen, Wendy’s, Subway, McDonald’s and Burger King. It is owned by Chilean fuels and lubricants company Enex.
