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Lance Trenary took an exclusive job Jan. 1, when he became CEO of Golden Corral Corp.
He was, after all, only the third CEO in the Raleigh, N.C.-based buffet chain's 43-year history, after founder James Maynard and longtime CEO Ted Fowler. The significance wasn't lost on Trenary.
"When you're following fellows like James Maynard and Ted Fowler, you have your work cut out for you," Trenary said.
While Trenary acknowledged that this was a bit intimidating, he also said he is well prepared to lead the 501-unit chain. Over the previous 29 years, he worked his way up from manager of a single location in Mississippi to chief operating officer.
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In 1985, Trenary had been managing a restaurant his family owned when a Golden Corral representative stopped by and gave a recruitment pitch.
Trenary had already heard about Golden Corral, and after closing the restaurant that night, he and his wife drove to Raleigh, where he interviewed for a manager position. He was offered a job on the spot and started as a partner/manager at a Golden Corral location in Brookhaven, Miss., in Jan. 1986.
At the time, the deal was a joint venture agreement. Trenary invested in the...