Autumn Event Report
The fall season was a busy one for the fuel oil industry with a number of major events. In the October issue, we covered the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association’s Fall Energy Conference. The following is a brief review of three other shows.
F.W. Webb’s First Ever New Hampshire Expo
The New Hampshire branches of F.W. Webb Company held their first annual statewide Expo on Sept. 5, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. Over 500 customers attended the show, which is, as F.W. Webb’s Director of Marketing Alicia Criniti remarked, ‘A good turnout for a year one event.”
Months of hard work on the part of all the New Hampshire branches and the corporate team ended up generating impressive attendance figures. Attractions included over one hundred manufacturer exhibits, a tool sale featuring Lenox and Milwaukee, multiple food stations, seminars, a ‘Scratch and Dent” bargain tent, and lots more.
In keeping with the venue, the entertainment featured a pit-stop tire-changing challenge, Lenox Car Cutting time trial, tram tours of the Speedway grounds, and a fantasy drive around the track, which were all a great hit.
Next year the event will be held again in September, a specific date is yet to be determined, but Criniti said it will be again at the Speedway.
2013 Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire Annual Meeting
The Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire’s 48th Annual Convention was held on Sept. 11-12, at the Mill Falls at the Lake in Meredith, NH. Golf on Tuesday morning was a washout, but by noon, a few brave souls decided to golf. Tuesday evening’s luau dinner was attended by 65 OHCNH members and non-members.
On Wednesday, a morning and afternoon training session was added for service technicians, featuring: Sheila Kabat, Snowden Associates: ‘Service Excellence Knock their Socks Off!”; Joe Geraghty from Sweeny, Rogers and Geraghty: ‘Fujitsu mini splits”; Mark Cunniff: ‘Roth Tank Certification”; and Paul Doaner from Edos talking about ‘Honeywell Red Link”.
Owners and managers attended a separate session with: William O’Brien, nationally-acclaimed speaker addresses ‘Achieving Customer Loyalty and Strategic Leadership”; Gerry Brien and Alex Burns, ServiceEdge: ‘Life Is Better When Profits Are Up”; and Morgan Stanley and AVATAS Payment Solutions adding spotlight presentations.
The slate of officers for 2014 was ratified by vote of the general membership: Chairman, Rob Stenger, Simple Energy; Vice Chairman, Frank Smart, Dead River Co.; Secretary Treasurer, Pam Giordano, M.L. Halle.; Immediate Past Chairman, John Rider, Dead River Co.
Board of Directors: Alan Davis, H.R. Clough; Alex Burns, Service Edge, (Boston Environmental); Bernie Moore, Eastern Propane & Oil; Bill Clifford, Global Petroleum; Bill Ermer, Palmer Gas / Ermer Oil; Bob Richard, D.F. Richard Energy; Courtney Moore, Jr., EndPoint, LLC; Dana Jones, White Mountain Oil & Propane; Donald Lamprey, Lamprey Brothers; Frank Taylor, Sprague; Jeff Murdy, Dennis K. Burke; Jeff Pierson, Foley Oil; John Miles, Putnam Fuels; Kim Weiland, Dead River; Marc Dorsey, Irving Oil; Patrick Miller, Webber Supply Co.; Tim Howe, City Fuel; Tom Proulx, Proulx Oil & Propane.
OHCHN gave many thanks to its sponsors: AFS, EndPoint LLC, Hedge Solutions, Irving, and RH White Construction.
Quarterly meetings are Dec. 3, 2013, 10:00 am at Grappone Center, Concord, NH; and April 3, 2014, 10:00 am at Grappone Center, Concord, NH. The 2014 OHCNH Annual Meeting has been set for Sept. 9 & 10, 2014 in Meredith, NH at Mill Falls at the Lake.
Southern New England Energy Conference at Mohegan Sun Casino
On Sept. 19-20, the Southern New England Energy Conference and the 63rd Connecticut Energy Association’s Annual Meeting took place at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Montville, Conn.
The event was sponsored by the Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association (MEMA), Oil Heat Institute of Rhode Island (OHIRI) and Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA). Overall, 261 registered guests attended the two-day event.
Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at OPIS, gave the Keynote Address during lunch on Thursday. The conference also featured 30 other breakout sessions with sessions covering a wide range of topics, including propane, biofuels, service, finances, human resources, customer service, motor fuels and much more. For those interested in energy markets, there were three related sessions. Tom Santa, Santa Energy, talked about the impact terminal closures will have on New England, plus the supply situation as the region moves to 500 ppm and 15 ppm HO. Paul Nazzarro of Advanced Fuel Solutions and the National Biodiesel Board discussed fuel quality and navigating the supply chain with Bioheat. Alan Levine’formerly with Morgan Stanley, now Powerhouse, and one of the industry’s best known technical analysts’also presented on oil, propane and gas markets and prices, as well as his outlook for the 2014 winter season.
Over 20 vendors set up table-top exhibits. Exhibitors included: 911 Restoration, Advanced Fuel Solutions, AFC First, Automated Wireless Environments, Avatas Payment Solutions, Dennis K. Burke, Federated Insurance, Fuel Management Services, Fuel Oil News, GBAC/CEMA Private Marketplace, GH Berlin/Avalux, GOsaver, Gray, Gray & Gray, Gregory and Howe, Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Powderhorn Insurance, Primedia, S.H. Smith Insurance, Southern CT Freightliner, Sprague Energy, Tiger Payment Solutions, Torrco, Wesson Energy.
Both MEMA and OHIRI gave out awards during the Awards Night Dinner. CEMA gave out three awards at the dinner: The Marketer of the Year Award went to Steven Rosentel of Leahy’s Fuels, Danbury; the Vendor of the Year Award went to Alan White of C. White & Son; and the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award went to Donald Craft, most recently of Gulf Oil. CEMA also elected a new board of directors and officers. NEFI also held a board meeting onsite on Friday, Sept. 20.