DUXBURY, Mass. — Leo Vercollone, president of convenience-store and Mobil/Gulf gas-station chain VERC Enterprises, served as a panelist for the Massachusetts Family Business Association at its Succeeding at Succession program in Rockland, Mass.

The Family Business Association program, which examined the issue of transitioning a family-owned business from one generation to the next, was moderated by Holbrook Cooperative Bank CEO Meg McIsaac.

Vercollone, as the top executive of VERC and a second-generation owner of the business, offered advice to the 50 attendees and fielded questions about the rewards and challenges of being in a family-owned business.

“Successfully transitioning a business from one generation to the next requires skill and careful planning,” Ed Tarlow, president of the Family Business Association, said. “We assembled an excellent team for this presentation, and thank them for their time and efforts.”

Vercollone, a Duxbury resident, is second generation in the business that his father, Eugene Vercollone founded 37 years ago. He and his brother Paul are president and vice president, respectively, of the firm that is widely recognized as a leader in in hiring those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He serves on the Dealer Advisory Council for both Mobil and Gulf and is vice president of the New England Convenience Store Association (NECSA).

“It was a privilege to serve as a panelist and share the story about the origins and growth of our family business,” said Vercollone. “Our father was a great proponent of implementing new ideas and strategies, a philosophy that my brother and I have upheld over the years. We’re thankful for the work ethic dad instilled in us and for his trust in our ability to continue and grow the company he established.”

Duxbury, Mass.-based VERC has nearly 30 gas stations and convenience stores with more than 230 employees in eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.