HFA Architecture + Engineering has hired Randy Sauer, AIA, as Senior Vice President, putting a 30-year retail and grocery design veteran in charge of a team exceeding 160 professionals. The Bentonville, Ark.-based employee-owned firm said Sauer will oversee project design and delivery across architecture, structural engineering, refrigeration, fueling, MEP engineering, and permitting — disciplines that touch virtually every corner of a convenience or grocery build-out.
Background and Clients
Sauer arrives from ESI Construction, where he spent six years in business development focused on large retail and grocery work. Before that he held vice president and principal-level posts at Core States Group, DLR Group, Gensler, and MG2. His grocery résumé includes Whole Foods Market, Safeway, Target, and multiple Kroger-owned banners. On the foodservice and retail side he has worked with Buffalo Wild Wings, Nike, H&M, and Petco, among others.
For convenience-and-fuel operators specifically, HFA's portfolio reads like a who's-who of the channel. The firm has completed fueling projects for 7-Eleven, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Stripes Convenience Stores, Kum & Go, MAPCO Express, Parker's Kitchen, and Jiffy Trip. Sauer called traditional and EV fueling "a growing retail trend" that his team is positioned to serve as forecourt redesigns accelerate across the industry.
Why It Matters for Operators
Sauer's appointment lands as many single-store operators and regional chains are accelerating capital programs despite a price-conscious consumer environment. He argued that value-focused retailers — a segment that includes a large share of the c-store industry — often press hardest on new builds and remodels precisely when consumers are feeling economic pressure. "Efficient project design empowers retailers to keep on delivering those lower prices their customers depend on," Sauer said.
HFA CEO Dave Wilgus framed the hire around the firm's multidisciplinary model. "His people-first leadership philosophy and commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration make him a strong fit," Wilgus said in announcing the appointment.
Beyond traditional store design, HFA's team has built experience in customer pickup infrastructure, fulfillment centers, and automated distribution — capabilities increasingly relevant to larger c-store chains investing in foodservice and supply-chain improvements. Sauer noted that integrating those back-of-house functions with front-of-store experience is central to what operators are asking for right now.
With more than 650 professionals across offices in Arkansas, Texas, Maryland, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Mexico City, HFA's scale gives regional and national chains a single-source option for projects ranging from brand refreshes and remodels to ground-up new store design. For c-store operators evaluating site development and forecourt upgrades, that breadth — particularly the fueling and refrigeration disciplines — is a practical differentiator as EV charging integration and fresh-food cold-chain demands reshape store design standards.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
