SPECS 2013 opens with Navy Seal, aid for children

Dallas -- Chain Store Age's 49th annual SPECS store development conference officially kicked off on Monday morning at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas with two kinds of inspiration: Greg Buzek, president of IHL Group, introduced the Retail Orphan Initiative, and U.S. Navy Seal Scott Taylor presented Afterburner Black Ops, challenging the audience of retailers in design, construction, facilities, store planning and development to use Seal techniques to run their organizations.



In the discussion about the Retail Orphan Initiative, which was created four years ago to help vulnerable children worldwide, Buzek explained that the focus of the charitable foundation is to provide grants to charities around orphan care, foster care support, adoption support, child rescue and life-skills training. He challenged the retailers and suppliers to get involved in any way they could.



SPECS continues through Wednesday morning with sessions on ADA options, sustainability, capital budgeting, building smaller stores in urban environments, and more.