Wills Group Announces Appointment of Mark Samuels as Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing

Samuels will join the Wills Group Officer team, leading convenience retail lines of business including Dash In and Splash In ECO Car Wash

Mark Samuels appointed Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing at the Wills Group (Photo credit: Ana Isabel Martinez Chamorro).

LA PLATA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Wills Group, a family-owned company headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, announced today the appointment of Mark Samuels to Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing, effective as of October 1, 2023. Samuels will continue to lead efforts across the Wills Group to transform the Dash In and Splash In ECO Car Wash lines of business and oversee the company’s continued expansion across the Mid-Atlantic region.

#WillsGroup appoints Mark Samuels as Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing to continue to lead efforts to transform the #DashIn and #SplashInECOCarWash lines of business and oversee the company’s continued expansion across the Mid-Atlantic.Tweet this

Samuels’s appointment is an acknowledgment of his leadership in transforming Dash In and the customer experience. In 2018, Samuels was instrumental in the strategy and execution of Dash In’s Neighborhood concept store in Chesterfield, Virginia that focused on an improved customer experience, including a fresh, made-to-order menu and environmental enhancements with a local feel. Today, nearly all of the 55+ Dash In locations feature a bright, open atmosphere with intuitive wayfinding, which offers a welcoming convenience store experience and gives customers that local neighborhood feel that Samuels helped to develop. Samuels has also led Dash In’s renewed food service strategy, introducing its signature Craveable Menu, which resulted in Dash In being recognized as Convenience Store News 2023 food service innovator of the year.

“Mark Samuels embodies the Wills Group’s commitment to innovation and investing in our people,” said Julian B. (Blackie) Wills, III, President and CEO of the Wills Group. “Since his first day at the Wills Group more than 25 years ago, Samuels has continually pushed our team to examine what convenience retail innovation could look like for Dash In, while also leading Dash In’s focus to go above and beyond when it comes to customer service.”

In his new role as Executive Vice President, Samuels expands his scope at the Wills Group to refine Dash In’s retail strategy and commitment to food service innovation while also growing the Splash In ECO Car Wash line of business. Samuels worked to lead Dash In’s next generation approach with the store opening in March 2023 in Loudoun County, Virginia. The all-new Dash In boasts a new visual identity and reimagined store design, with a “made for you” and fresh-to-go menu, offering customers dine-in options and an overall elevated experience. Similarly, Splash In ECO Car Wash has a new brand identity and refreshed customer experience including environmentally friendly wash technology and loyalty programs.

“I am honored to take on this expanded leadership role at the Wills Group,” said Samuels, Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing at the Wills Group. “This presents a unique opportunity to prepare the team for scaling our new convenience concept across the region, while continuing to innovate. The goal is to create better experiences for our customers, our employees, and our communities.”

Samuels was previously Vice President of Retail at the Wills Group, where he implemented growth strategies across Dash In operations, food service and marketing, and helped support the expansion of Dash In’s footprint across the Mid-Atlantic region. His new role will focus on rolling out the next generation of the Dash In and Splash In ECO Car Wash brands as the Wills Group also looks to create enhanced experiences for its customers while deepening community relationships where the businesses operate.

About

Headquartered in La Plata, Maryland, the Wills Group is Great Place to Work Certified™ and has nearly 300 retail locations across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Dash In, Splash In ECO Car Wash, and SMO Motor Fuels. A family-owned company since 1926 with expertise in convenience retailing, fuels marketing, and commercial real estate, the Wills Group prides itself on keeping customers’, employees’, and communities’ Lives in Motion. For more information about the Wills Group, visit willsgroup.com.