Cape Verdean native rises up the ranks from part-time cashier

VERC Enterprises, a leading convenience store and Mobil/Gulf/Irving/Shell gasoline operator with locations throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is delighted to announce the promotion of Antonio “Tony” Depina to District Leader.

In this new role, he is responsible for monitoring eight VERC Enterprises locations on the South Shore of Massachusetts, through regular on-site visits and weekly reporting.

Depina, who moved to Massachusetts from Cape Verde in 2001 at the age of 15, joined VERC Enterprises in January of 2006 as a part-time associate, working as a cashier at the Stoughton location. Three years later he was promoted to assistant manager of the Dorchester/Neponset store, followed in 2011 as manager of the Raynham location.

He continued to rise up the ranks when in 2014 he was named manager of VERC’s flagship Commerce Way Plymouth location. In 2017, Depina was awarded Operator of the Year by the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association for his management of the Plymouth store.

His most recent promotion to District Leader “is a dream come true” for Depina, noting that being a member of the VERC Enterprises team “is more like being a member of a family.”

Depina and his wife and five children live in Brockton, where he spends as much spare time as he can on several construction projects at their home.

“Tony has been an outstanding member of our team since the beginning of his career here,” said Barry Ahern, Vice President of Operations with VERC Enterprises. “He has taken on every challenge, always rising above and beyond; the entire VERC Enterprises family congratulates Tony on his new role as District Leader.”

About VERC Enterprises

VERC Enterprises is a leading, independent chain of convenience stores and gasoline stations, with locations throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The company began 50 years ago with a single car wash in Marshfield, MA. The original business was founded by Eugene Vercollone. Today, the business remains under family ownership, with Mr. Vercollone’s sons Leo and Paul serving as CEO and Senior Vice President, respectively. Longtime VERC team member Jim Fitzgerald serves as the company’s President. With nearly 400 employees, VERC is a leader in hiring individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and has more than 20 % of its workforces comprised of IDD (Intellectually/Developmentally Disabled) citizens. VERC maintains ongoing partnerships with organizations including Best Buddies, ARC of Greater Plymouth and others to provide employment opportunities for IDD individuals. VERC is also working with the state’s Re-Entry program to provide employment opportunities for former inmates who have been rehabilitated. VERC Enterprises has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a Best Place to Work in Massachusetts and as a Leader in Diversity; the company has also been repeatedly honored by the Boston Globe as a Best Place to Work in Massachusetts. In 2017, VERC was named Employer of the Year by both the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and The ARC of Greater Plymouth, and Employer of the Year for Hopeful Journeys in 2017. For additional information, please visit the website, www.vercenterprises.com, or call 781-934-7300. To learn more about VERC, please view:https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLesS4W9hjtufdf6GhvnfUKMk2l2Q-r-MM

Verc Enterprises Awards and Recognitions

• 2019 May Institute President’s Award
• Boston Business Journal Book of Lists, Area’s Largest Family Owned Businesses, multiple years
• Exemplary Employer, Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (2017)
• Employer of the Year, ARC (2017)
• Operator of the Year (single location), New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (2017)
• Leo Vercollone, keynote speaker (2016), Diversity in Workforce, Family Business Association
• Franciscan Leadership Award, Cardinal Cushing Centers (2015)
• Employer of the Year, MAPSE (Massachusetts Association of People Supporting Employment First), 2013
• Central Middlesex Area Department of Developmental Services recognition for work with IDD (2013)
• MetroWest Work Opportunities Coalition, Accommodation Award (2013)
• Grand Spirit Award, Convenience Store Decisions Magazine, for social media
• Grand Spirit Award, Convenience Store News,
• Distinguished Citizen Award, ARC (2010)