Jim Leonard, chief operating officer (COO) for midwest convenience store distributor S. Abraham & Sons (SAS), has retired after 35 years with the company, according to a recent announcement.

Leonard began his career with SAS in 1988 and eventually went on to hold a variety of positions at the company, including vice president of administration and chief financial officer. He was promoted to his most recent position of COO in 2019.

Wayne Baquet, CEO of SAS’s parent company, Imperial Trading Co., said the organization is losing a “stable force” with Leonard’s departure. 

“Jim deserves all the accolades and has left SAS in a better place than when he started,” Baquet said.

Founded in 1927, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based S. Abraham & Sons is a wholesale distributor specializing in grocery and foodservice solutions for convenience stores and campus retail locations. Its foodservice programs include packages for cold and hot beverages, snacks, roller grill, sandwiches and more. The company also offers a variety of branded foodservice programs, such as Coopers Express chicken, Piccadilly Circus Pizza, BluTaco and Hangar54 Pizza.

SAS’s service area extends from the U.S. and Canada border to the Gulf of Mexico where it works with over 5,000 retail locations. In the U.S., it serves businesses in 11 states. Convenience retailers SAS works with include Wesco convenience stores, Open Pantry, Conlee Oil Co., S&G Stores, America Gas & Oil, J&H Oil Co. and Merle Boes Inc., according to its website.