Paul Nanula

Paul Nanula is a highly accomplished executive, entrepreneur and investor with a lifetime of Supermarket and convenience store management experience. Currently, as the President of Nanco Group, (Nanco) the investment arm of the Nanula Family Office, Paul has had multiple business successes in his family’s business portfolio most notably leading the repurchase, operation and sale of Wilson Farms and Sugarcreek Convenience stores.

Nanco is a diverse, operator led Family Office invested in real estate, construction, consumer, restaurants and financial Technology sectors. In 1992 Nanco founded Essex Homes, one of the largest homebuilders in Western NY. In 2019 Nanco led the purchase Sinatra and Company Real Estate, with the Company’s founder Sinatra. The Company owns and manages a $580 million portfolio including 5,900 apartments and nearly 1million square feet of commercial space.

Paul started his career at fourteen working at Tops Supermarkets in the dairy frozen department. By age 20, Paul was the dairy frozen Manager and shortly after, an assistant Store Manager. Paul focused on store operations and ultimately became a District Manager, leading the most dynamic district of Tops stores that encompassed a quarter of a billion dollars in sales and thousands of store associates.

Paul left Tops in 1998 to lead Nanco. Paul launched a branch of Raymond James Financial Services, providing financial services to Nanco and other affluent clients, while underwriting local and regional deals. Paul was active in the financial services business until 2004 when as President of Nanco, Paul endeavored to purchase the convenience store chain, Wilson Farms from Ahold Retail N.V.

In 2005, Wilson Farms Acquisition Group purchased the chain form Ahold, while Paul served as President and CEO. Nanco partnered with Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., Inc., a mid-market private equity firm. Merrill Lynch was the senior lender and Audax was a mezzanine lender to the Acquisition Group.

As CEO, Paul successfully de-coupled Wilson Farms from Ahold, set up a new corporate structure, managed a $25 million capital expenditure and investment plan, revamped store operations, and created a company committed to the communities it served.

Paul’s vision and hard work resulted in the sale of Wilson Farms to 7 Eleven in 2011, enabling the ownership group and lenders a substantial return on investment.

Since 2011 Paul has led Nanco by directing private investments, most notably in the technology services and real estate sectors. In 2010, Paul co-founded IQ Craft, a technology services company, and led the design of an online ordering system for independent supermarket and restaurants. Most recently, Paul has brought into the Nanco fold a bourbon distillery called Steel Bending Spirits LLC, (SBS). Paul is the President and CEO of SBS, which produces and sells the Three Chord Bourbon brand.