McD & IBM Partnership Bring Robots

Franchise owner and entrepreneur Leighton Hull started his first franchising career as a Los Angeles, California-based McDonald's owner and operator, where he enhanced sales performance at his first location by more than 80 percent in the first two years. Leighton Hull and his operations were identified as regional 'training sites' by McDonald's Corporation, where franchise aspirants learned and developed competency in implementing the McDonald's system.

In 2021, one of McDonald’s priorities was exploring technology in their storefront services. Earlier in the year, the company tested robots taking orders at its drive-through in Chicago. Subsequently, in a consumer-experience video, some customers left good reviews about their experience with the robots. While many people thought this was just an arrangement to test robots, the fast-food chain is actually serious about incorporating AI machines into its service.

A few months later, McDonald’s made its partnership with the computer hardware company IBM official. McDonald’s planned to sell its McD Tech Labs to IBM in this arrangement. This new development enables IBM to take the robot drive-through test further. McDonald’s and IBM’s priority in this collaboration is to embed ethical principles into the AI technology to enable the robots to uphold trust and transparency with customers.

Shell Oil Acquired MSTS' Payment

The former owner and operator of the Los Angeles-California-based McDonald’s franchise, Leighton Hull was on the board of directors of the McDonald's Operations Association, where he was a member of the marketing/advertising and public relations committees. Leighton Hull operated Shell Oil Multi-Sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

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Multi Service Technology Solutions, Inc. sold MSTS Payments, LLC and its Multi Service Fuel Card business to Shell Oil Company. Shell Oil Company has a closed-loop payment network with the Multi-Service Fuel Card acceptance network and transaction processing technology, utilized by Commercial Road Transport (CRT) businesses at thousands of truck stops across North America.

Growing market share in the fuel card category and building synergies with Shell product offerings are among the investment goals. In addition, Shell Oil Company wants to improve consumer experience by offering trucking companies fuel-economy savings, better wear protection, and extended-drain capability through its heavy-duty diesel engine oil brand, Shell Rotella®.