WELCOME WPC Office Team TO MARCH MADNESS... a new President, new FAA authorization; volatile fuel prices, financial markets, real estate and of course, my favorite, college basketball
Welcome to the Western Family!
New FAA & EPA regulations
Western Petroleum Company Introduces Truck Program
New POS Machine Roll-out
ExxonMobil Aviation 2009 GM Meeting & PremierSpirit Awards
Aviation Equipment Parts Available
New Western Petroleum Company Quality Control Recognition Award
Aviation Prices in for an Up-and-Down Year
New ExxonMobil Aviation Merchandise Vendor & Premier Spirit Administrator
Welcome to the Western Family!
Please welcome the following new dealers who have recently joined Western Petroleum Company:
- Birmingham Executive Aviation, Bessemer, AL
- Jorgensen Air Service, Olympia, WA
New FAA & EPA regulations:
Keep in mind that no regulations have been codified. The new L.A.S.P. are not finalized, but we need to keep on our senators/representatives that this could have a chilling effect on our business, therefore JOBS (that is the key word right now).
The EPA's SPCC plan while 'finalized" has NOT been printed therefore can yet be changed. But check with your environmental consultant to make sure your incompliance. I think the one item you can expect this year is bigger government with more 'enforcers' out there. If they can find a mistake or error that they can issue a fine on, they will.
More government:
It is very likely we are going to see an increase in fuel taxes, both motor fuels and aviation fuels...
GAO Warns of Shortfall in Aviation Trust Fund
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned this week that the excise taxes that feed the Airport and Airway Trust Fund have been lower than previously forecast, while estimates of future revenues have declined because of a drop in passenger traffic, fares and fuel consumption. Moreover, the uncommitted balance in the trust fund has been decreasing since Fiscal Year 2001. For the short run, lower-than-expected excise taxes will reduce the balance even further and could affect funding for FAA programs this year and next. In the longer run, continued declines in trust fund revenues may require Congress to cut spending on FAA operations and capital projects, or increase revenues for the trust fund by introducing new fees, increasing taxes or increasing the portion of the FAA's funding provided by the General Fund. The GAO also called for a "timely" reauthorization of the FAA, lest continued short-term funding measures delay key capital projects and affect progress toward NextGen.
Still More Government...
PANEL RECOMMENDS FUEL TAX HIKES, VMT FEE SYSTEM
A Congressionally-created panel looking at how to better finance the Highway Trust Fund has recommended raising federal taxes on fuel - 10cts/gal for gasoline and 15 cts for diesel, to be indexed to inflation going forward - and an eventual move to a charge for each mile driven.
The 15-member National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission issued its report Thursday ahead of an April 2009 deadline and urged that the federal government act swiftly. The almost $40 billion in transportation infrastructure spending in the stimulus package won't go far in covering the shortfall in highway and transit funding, the commission said, nor will it address a likely crisis in transport infrastructure investment. http://financecommission.dot.gov
Western Petroleum Company Introduces Truck Program
Contact your Territory Manager for further details.
New POS Machine Roll-out
We are pleased to announce the latest upgrade to complement our credit card program, the verifone Omni Vx570. Same low processing fees, but faster processing: connect to either phone or an ethernet cable.
Other POS Machine Change Benefits include:
- No more second machine for the Government AIR Card (now processed in the Vx570)
- Compliance with the new PCI data security regulations that are effective July 2010
- More product codes, faster transacting
- Daily automatic settlement
A Handheld, wireless model (Vx610), will be available once 'beta testing' is completed. There will be an additional fee of $30/month for the Vx610.
If your using Total FBO or FBO Manager, you can now use a stand alone card swipe. These are available at www.posworld.com ; check with your accounting software provider as to which model will work in your application.
However to take the goverment Air card, you'll still need your Vx570.
ExxonMobil Aviation 2009 GM Meeting & PremierSpirit Awards
(www.premierspirit.com)
At the General Managers Meeting / Premier Spirit Award Meeting, the 2009 Premier Spirit program was announced. Some of the exciting improvements and changes are:
This is the 20th Anniversary of PremierSpirit
Surveys will be completed online with access codes to be handed out by the CSR; only two surveys will be allowed to be completed per invoice no.
3 - $5,000 Grand Prizes:
A $5,000 CASH PRIZE each month during July, August, and September. Each unique FBO feedback survey submitted increases chances to win.
300 - Die Cast Airplane First Prizes:
THREE HUNDRED DIE CAST MODEL AIRPLANES will be given away Each person submitting surveys on 5 different FBOs become eligible for the drawing to win one of 300 die cast planes.
Thousands of Instant Bonus Points Rewards:
PremierSpirit will award 3,500 PILOTS+ BONUS POINTS for each different FBO survey completed by a Pilots+ cardholder during July, August, and September.
Special promotion period Pilots+ points:
5 points/gal. - FBO issued (standard, year round)
15 points/gal. - EMA issued (Bonus, during promotion)
20 points/gallon - Customer receives on their statement*
All Pilots+ points apply toward gift cards
*Of course we have to have some limitations:
- Maximum of 35,000 Bonus Points issued/cardholder/promotion period
- Maximum 20 different FBO surveys/customer/month will qualify for Grand Prize and First Prize drawings
Due to being an on line survey, FBOs will be able to logon and instantly access survey results.
Marketing of the program:
- Before and during promotion
- Magazine Announcements (June)
- Direct mailer
- E-announcement each promotion month
- Announcement in May issue of Navigator
Post promotion
- Grand Prize check presentation at NBAA Trade Show
- Grand Prize presentation story in January Navigator (S&D issue)
FBO Dealer Participation Kit:
- Program instructions
- Counter display
- Window cling
- Postcards/stickers that CSR's can attach to purchase receipts
This will be an exciting program. Be sure to make sure your FBO is enrolled...
Aviation Equipment Parts Available
Western Petroleum Company now offers its ExxonMobil Aviation branded customers a one stop source for aviation equipment parts. Parts include: Deadman Handles, Displays, Filters, Gauges, Hoses, Interlocks, Meters, Nozzles, Reels, Pumps, Registers, Regulators, Swivels and Valves. All parts are discounted 10% for Western Petroleum Customers.
New Western Petroleum Company Quality Control Recognition Award
Western Petroleum is pleased to announce the roll out of our new Quality Control Rewards Program! We are very excited about this program and hope you are too! Please find the program details below:
Who's eligible?
Every branded FBO that is inspected by our Quality Assurance personnel twice a year.
How do I qualify?
The new inspection forms produce a percentage total at the end of each item inspected. The average percentage of all your forms combined must be 90% or higher, plus our QA personnel must determine your facility and equipment to be acceptable to qualify. (Example: inspections on your dealer owned Avgas refueler totaled 94%, your dealer owned Jet A refueler totaled 78% and your tank farm scored 98%. Your average percentage is 90%)
Note: Should your FBO score less than an average of 90% during the first inspections of 2009; make the necessary corrections and score high enough on the second round of inspections to collective score 90% or more plus have your facility and equipment deemed acceptable for all inspections you will receive your wall plaque and bomber jacket!
What's the reward?
When your FBO qualifies based on the criteria listed above, within the first six months inspection (January-June) you will receive a Certificate of Quality Control Compliance recognizing your FBOs commitment to safety.
During the second round of field inspections (July-December) when your FBO meets the above mention requirements, you will receive a wall plaque to display in your FBO as well as an ExxonMobil leather bomber jacket.
Rewards will be delivered by your Territory Manager.
Should you have any questions please feel free to contact your Territory Manager. I am also available to assist. Thank you for your business and your commitment to perform all the necessary procedures to provide your customers with clean, quality aviation fuel.
Aviation Prices in for an Up-and-Down Year
While my crystal ball is no better than anyone else's, here are some facts from a historical perspective:
Differentials (product cost in one market versus product cost in another market) are defying historical norms; this is going to have the effect of physical supply & demand abnormalities (or "events" as I call them), causing the producers to shift production from one mix of products to a different mix, which will further upset historical pricing differentials. As an example, historically we expect gulf coast jet fuel in March to command a 15 cpg premium over NYMEX heat; however in 2009 for March, Gulf coast Jet is 5cpg BELOW the NYMEX heating oil; a 20 cpg decrease in value to refiners. While this is good for the cost to end users, it has a chilling effect on refiners wanting to make more jet, as this impacts forecasted profitability. These reversed differentials can also be seen in group differentials, (-20 cpg vs norm; NYMEX "Heat" (down 22 vs norm); Going the other way, Group jet vs the gulf coast is 10cpg more expensive than historical norms. The strangest thing, the only market that is close to normal is the NY Harbor... now that is madness...
Save You Money:
New ExxonMobil Aviation Merchandise Vendor & Premier Spirit Administrator
We are pleased to announce that beginning March 2, 2009, Unified Resources, Inc. will be there for your ExxonMobil Aviation branded supply needs. To place your orders, contact Corrie Pannell, your Customer Service Representative, at 1-800-570-1499 between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST, Monday-Friday. In addition to placing your orders by phone, beginning March 9, 2009, a new ExxonMobil Aviation Store website that can be used to order FBO supplies including forms, thermal paper, credit card applications, patches, etc will be available. There is also a section that will give you an opportunity to purchase some branded merchandise. The website is www.exxonmobilaviationstore.com
You will be given access as an Authorized User to the website. The unique user ID and password for your FBO should arrive in a letter in 3 to 5 business days. If you should need to use the website store as of March 9 and have not received the letter, please call customer service.
Some new functions and benefits you can expect from the online catalog are:
- One convenient online source for branded merchandise and supplies organized into categories
- New codes to streamline ordering process
- Key word and category search functions for
- finding what you want quickly
- Photos of all items with descriptions
- Unique user name and password (one per FBO - based on your ExxonMobil Aviation Merchant Number)
ExxonMobil Aviation StoreWebsite: www.ExxonMobilAviationStore.com
Toll Free Phone: 800-570-1499
Toll Free Fax: 800-570-3092
Email: info@exxonmobilaviationstore.com
