January 8, 1999

Dear PEI Member:

Last Friday, Gregg Miller, president of Northwest Pump & Equipment Co., headquartered in Portland, Oregon, assumed the presidency of the Petroleum Equipment Institute. He succeeds Coles Marsh of Hughesville, Maryland, and becomes the association’s 49th president. Philip W. Cruzen, president of Cruzen Equipment Company, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, is PEI’s 1999 vice president.

One of Miller’s first duties was to appoint committees for 1999. The 69 people identified below have agreed to serve this year on one or more of the association’s 14 committees. These men and women will commit their time, talent and money (expenses to committee meetings are not reimbursed) by volunteering to work on a PEI committee. They are to be congratulated on their appointment and thanked for their service to the petroleum equipment industry.

Aboveground Tank Installation Committee. Responsible for PEI’s Recommended Practices for Installation of Aboveground Storage Systems for Motor Vehicle Refueling (RP200) and for monitoring technical developments related to the installation of these systems. George H. Watkins, WatkinsCo, Fayetteville, GA, chairman. Michael D. Lattner, Morrison, Dubuque, IA. Kirk N. Mercer, MercerCo, Jackson, MI. Mike Raymond, AceTankEqp, Portland, OR. Frank Singleton, MDPumpTank, Baltimore, MD. Bill R White, WhitesPump, Lubbock, TX. Timothy K. Woofter, Stanwade, Hartford, OH.

Convention Committee. The chairman of the convention committee counsels with the association’s staff on details that relate to Convex, assists in the preparation of the list of industry guests to be invited to attend, and leads the Inspirational Breakfast. The chairman of the 1999 convention committee is Gordon A. Duncan, RNG, Mississauga, Ontario.

Election Commission. Supervises board elections and tabulates ballots. Members of this committee are established by the PEI Constitution. Carl E. Dean, KYPtrEqp, Lexington, KY, chairman. Bill R White, WhitesPump, Lubbock, TX. Coles Marsh, JCVinc, Hughesville, MD.

Education Committee. Responsible for planning seminars, surveys, industry manuals, Convex sessions, and other educational programs for PEI members. Charlie Tew, SoPmpTnkNC, Charlotte, NC, chairman. Terrence R. Baker, SperoElec, Cleveland, OH. Frank J. DeLuca, Jr., DeLuca, Beltsville, MD. Bob Hill, FranHill, Tulare, CA. Don Petroni, CEThomasCO, Gardena, CA. Fred Seymour, J8EqpCo, Denver, CO. Jeffrey Underland, PtrSersMD, Baltimore, MD. Scott Wilson, WilsonRgrs, Tukwila, WA.

Credentials and Conduct Committee. Supervises the registration of delegates to Convex, certifies the registration category of all attendees, and deals with reported violations of convention rules and registration policies. The president appoints the chairman who, in turn, appoints members of the committee during the summer. Chairman for Convex 99 in Toronto is Joe Lynch, LTSSales, Mississauga, Ontario.

Executive Committee. Composed of the president, vice president, immediate past president, and two members of the board of directors, this committee is established by the PEI Constitution and makes interim decisions on behalf of the board. Gregg Miller, NWPump, Portland, OR, chairman. Philip W. Cruzen, CruzenEqp, Memphis, TN. Coles Marsh, JCVinc, Hughesville, MD. Jerry Leatherman, DallasPump, Dallas, TX. Gerry McKay, KellrEqLtd, Calgary, AB.

Insurance Committee. This committee monitors the Institute’s insurance programs. B. D. Cooper, PtrEqp&Ser, Marion, IA, chairman. Edward G. Ettl, BadgerOEqp, Milwaukee, WI. Lawrence L. Hafer, HaferEqp, Reading, PA. J. Stephen Hieber, PWIinc, New Oxford, PA. Vincent J. Jacob, HighlandTk, Stoystown, PA. Patrick M. Ryan, PtrEqpWI, Green Bay, WI.

Manufacturer-Distributor Relations Committee. The committee’s mission, as directed by the PEI board, is to explore ways manufacturers and distributors can streamline processes and procedures used by the two groups to better benefit one another and their end-user customers. Rick Whately, EnvironPro, Exton, PA, chairman. Hugh Campbell, OPW-FC, Cincinnati, OH. Terry D. Cooper, PtrEqp&Ser, Marion, IA. Charlie Glab, Morrison, Dubuque, IA. Kenneth T. Hagman, Habhegger, Philadelphia, PA. Jim O’Day, ODayEqpCo, Fargo, ND. Scott Ready, LSI, Cincinnati, OH. Blair R. Shwedo, SEPSinc, Charlotte, NC. Bill R White, WhitesPump, Lubbock, TX.

Membership Committee. Encourages application for membership in the association by qualified companies. Raymond A. Geiger, RGSlsAgncy, Upland, CA. Cynthia Leftwich, LibertyTX, Houston, TX. Robert H. Moore, Smithpipe, Little Rock, AR.

Safety Committee. Plans programs and publications (SafetyLetter, Safe Practices, Dos and Don’ts, safety posters, etc.) for use by members to enhance public and workplace safety. Julius George, CBMConstVA, Fredericks-burg, VA, chairman. Mark Able, SerStaSys, San Jose, CA. Steve Fletcher, NWPump, Portland, OR. Craig Hoyer, KubatEqp, Denver, CO. Ken Korneychuk, EatonS&S, Denver, CO. Bruce Larson, OWLarsonCo, Clarkston, MI. Alex Ralston, Petcon, Jackson, MS. Mike Schammel, MDPumpTank, Baltimore, MD.

Vapor Recovery Installation Committee. Responsible for writing PEI’s Recommended Practices for Installation and Testing of Vapor Recovery Systems at Vehicle Fueling Sites (RP300). James H. Spiros, SuperiorEq, St. Louis, MO, chairman. B. J. Benton, UntdPumpTN, Norcross, GA. C. Arlo Cummins, Cummins, Libertytown, MD. Brian Hurley, CEThomasCo, Gardena, CA. James A. Spiros, SuperiorEq, St. Louis, MO. James A. Wynne III, PetroPac, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Tank Installation Committee. Responsible for PEI’s Recommended Practices for Installation of Underground Liquid Storage Systems (RP100). Leland M. Freeman, SE&Minc, Victoria, TX, chairman. Michael W. Farmer, FarmerCo, South Williamsport, PA. Maurice J. Hubbard, J&MPumpSer, Fort Myers, FL. Jim O’Day, ODayEqpCo, Fargo, ND. Patrick M. Ryan, PtrEqpWI, Green Bay, WI. Jerry A. Thomas, CEThomasCo, Gardena, CA. Bill R White, WhitesPump, Lubbock, TX.

Strategic Long Range Planning Committee. Established by the PEI Constitution, this six-person committee is composed of the president, vice president, treasurer and the three immediate past presidents. It develops long range plans and objectives, and serves as an advisory body to the PEI Board of Directors. Chairman is Gregg Miller, NWPump, Portland, OR. Philip W. Cruzen, CruzenEqp, Memphis, TN. Kendall H. Johnson, LjohnsEqp, Denver, CO. Carl E. Dean, KyPtrEqp, Lexington, KY. Bill R White, WhitesPump, Lubbock, TX. Coles Marsh, JCVinc, Hughesville, MD.

Young Executives Committee. This committee is charged with the responsibility of establishing and developing programs for members of the PEI Young Executives. Jeff Leatherman, DallasPump, Dallas, TX, chairman. Ian Burton, KellrEqLtd, Calgary, AB. David Dean, Buckeye, Dayton, OH. Cheryl L. George, CBMConstVA, Fredericksburg, VA. James N. Kaplanes, PyramidEqp, Rockford, IL. Brian Moog, Universal, Elizabeth, NJ. Robert G. Munger, PiSquare, West Des Moines, IA. Jennifer Dixon O’Neil, Hoidale, Overland Park, KS. Victoria Terry, WeaverMfg, Oroville, CA. Joseph Valenti, HoseMaster, Cleveland, OH.

PEI EDUCATION CONFERENCE UPDATE

Over 100 PEI Young Executives are meeting this weekend in New Orleans. Our thanks to the corporate sponsors who helped make the group’s first winter conference possible: Central Illinois Manufacturing, Gilbarco Inc., PMP Corporation, and Universal Valve Company, Inc.

We have already received 102 registrations for PEI’s Construction Managers Conference that will be held February 5-7, 1999, in St. Louis, Missouri. The registration deadline is January 15. There are currently six companies serving as sponsors for this conference: Central Illinois Manufacturing; EBW; Environ Products; Husky Corporation; The Tyree Organization; and Universal Valve Company, Inc.

Registration materials for PEI’s Service Managers Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, March 19-21, will be mailed to all PEI members next week. If you do not receive a registration brochure, contact PEI and we will mail one to you. The conference registration deadline is March 5. The deadline for hotel reservations is February 18. The conference is sponsored by these PEI members: Central Illinois Manufacturing; Computer Processing; DurEquip; ESCO Services; Gilbarco Inc.; Husky Corporation; PMP Corporation; RDM Industrial Electronics; Red Jacket; Tokheim Corporation; Universal Valve Company, Inc.; and Vertical Market Software. 

JANUARY 15 IS CLOSING DATE FOR ADVERTISING IN 1999 PEI DIRECTORY

Thirty-one PEI members have reserved advertising space in the 1999 Petroleum Equipment Directory, scheduled for publication in April. The closing date for advertising that will appear in the directory is Friday, January 15. Negatives or camera-ready artwork must be at PEI headquarters by that time. A space reservation form is enclosed. These members have already placed insertion orders for advertising space: AtlantcMfg, AustinEng, BravoInc, CNIMfg, Coxreels, DAYCO, Dixon, EBW, Gilbarco, Hasstech, HMSPublish, HoseMaster, HuskyCorp, JEMKO, LexiconAsc, Morrison, NatActMktg, Natl-Spncr, OPW-FC, PMPCorp, PrecisinIL, PyramidEqp, Simmons, Teleflex, Thermoid, Tokheim, TurnerTank, TyreeOrg, USTMAN, VeederR and VMS.

APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS

EBW/APT/Catlow have added three new employees to their sales force. Daniel A. De Poli is manager of South American sales and has established his office in Buenos Aires. Steve C. Y. Lin is general manager Pacific Rim and offices at 3F, 155 Hsin Hseng S. Rd., Sec 1, Taipei, Taiwan. Telephone: (886) 2-2705-9398. Peter L. DeBlock has been hired as national accounts manager and is located at 7700 Senter Farm Road, Apex, North Carolina 27502. Telephone: (919) 772-0529.

McIndoo Associates Inc., Plainview, New York, has hired Chuck Gubitosa as a sales representative covering New Jersey. He can be reached at the company’s Plainview sales office: (800) 430-8478.

Peiker/Piatchek Associates, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, has added Richard J. Hayden to its sales staff in St. Louis.

Petro Vend, Inc., Hodgkins, Illinois, has hired Richard A. Shine as its new south-central regional sales manager. He will be responsible for developing national accounts and managing Petro Vend’s distributor network in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee.

OPW Fueling Components, Cincinnati, Ohio, has appointed Jim Whelden Systems Sales Manager West. He will be promoting PISCES and Hasstech products in the western region. Whelden lives in Bakersfield, California.

RETIREMENTS

Glenn A. Smith, customer service manager for American Fabricating, Inc., Germantown, Tennessee, has retired from the company where he worked for 25 years. Smith’s duties will be shared by Larry Lynch, Glenn Moore and Chris Lynch.

Ben Davisson of Southern Petroleum Equipment Co., Inc. (SPECO), Owensboro, Kentucky, retired at the end of 1998 after 40 years with the company. He was the first full-time employee hired at Southern Petroleum Equipment Company in 1958 and was virtually a one-man show for the first five years of SPECO’s existence. Ben and Julia, his wife of 35 years, will remain in Owensboro. 

DISTRICT 9 HOSTS HALF-DAY SEMINAR IN LAS VEGAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH WPMA

Cynthia Paul, director at FMI Corporation, will present Negotiating to Win-Win from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, February 23, 1999, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hosted by PEI Distributor District 9, this seminar will cover:

• The hidden structure of negotiating and how to use it to your benefit;
• How common negotiating tactics are used against you and how to turn them into win-win situations, and
• How to use time and power to your advantage.

Registration materials were mailed earlier this week to all PEI members. If you did not receive a registration form, contact PEI and we will fax one to you. The registration fee is $95 for PEI members; $125 for nonmembers.

If you need a sleeping room, call the MGM Grand: (800) 646-7787. Because the seminar will be held in conjunction with the Western Petroleum Marketers Association’s (WPMA) convention and trade show, ask for the WPMA rate of $102, single or double. You must make your reservation by January 21 to receive this rate. For other accommodations, call (800) 522-9555.

REGULATORY BRIEFS

Kentucky. EPA has approved revisions to the Kentucky state implementation plan (SIP) for the implementation of the rule regarding Stage II controls at gasoline dispensing facilities. Fax PEI your request for "63 FR 67586-91."

Maryland. The federal EPA has approved the state’s Stage II vapor recovery comparability plan for Allegany, Caroline, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester Counties. Fax PEI for a copy of "63 FR 67780-2."

New Hampshire. EPA has approved state implementation plan revisions submitted by the state that include regulations to control volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from gasoline dispensing facilities and from gasoline tank trucks. Fax PEI for "63 FR 67405-7."

INDUSTRY NOTES

Determan Welding and Tank Service and its manufacturing division, Brownie Tank Mfg. Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota, have combined elements of both names and will now be known as Determan Brownie, Inc.

Doug Adams Sales Associates, Inc., Plano, Texas, and Jimco Sales & Mfg., Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, formed a marketing alliance January 1. Both companies will retain their current ownership and individual identity. The companies will jointly represent the following PEI manufacturers in Texas and bordering states: CntmtSoltn, EnvironPro, FairfldInd, PTCoupling, Pneumrcatr, PwrInteg, Richards, Riverside, Titeflex and WaterBlock.

DEATHS

Norma Hobson, wife of founder Dale Hobson of Dale’s Service, Inc., Boise, Idaho, died December 17, 1998, at the age of 77. Norma Hobson not only held the fledgling company together in the early days, but also managed to raise five sons--her legacy--at the same time.

OSHA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS

Employers that use forklifts and other industrial trucks will have to provide thorough initial training to truck operators as well as refresher training every three years under a final rule issued in December by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The new OSHA rule requires employers to develop training programs or hire a consultant to provide the required training. Once trained, truck operators must be certified and documentation must be retained for potential review by OSHA.

The training program must base the amount and type of training required on factors such as the operator’s prior knowledge and skill; the types of powered industrial trucks the operator will operate in the workplace; the hazards present in the workplace; and the operator's demonstrated ability to operate a powered industrial truck safely. If an employee was hired before December 1, 1999, the initial training and evaluation of that employee must be completed by December 1, 1999. If the employee was hired after December 1, 1999, the initial training and evaluation of that employee must be completed before the employee is assigned to operate a powered industrial truck.

Employers are required to evaluate operators of powered industrial trucks every three years under OSHA’s new rule. Refresher training is required if: the operator is involved in an accident or a near-miss accident; the operator is observed driving in an unsafe manner; the employer determines, during the operator's evaluation, that the operator needs additional training; there are changes to the workplace that could affect the safe operation of the truck; or the operator is assigned to operate a different type of truck. PEI has copies of this 37-page rule. Fax PEI for "63 FR 66238-74."

NAW PUBLISHES FIFTH FACING THE FORCES OF CHANGE TRENDS REPORT

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and its research arm, the Distribution Research & Education Foundation, have published the fifth in the series of Facing the Forces of Change reports. The 163-page report identifies four major trends that are reshaping wholesale distribution: electronic commerce, strategic alliances, supply chain integration, and globalization. The report devotes a chapter to each trend and contains a discussion of threats and opportunities posed by the trend in question, along with a case study of a wholesale distribution company that has taken advantage of some of these opportunities. We can fax you an order form. Request "NAW Facing the Forces of Change."

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS

Indiana consulting engineer. The Young Group, 406 Inglenook Place, Angola, Indiana 46703, has applied for affiliate division membership. James E. Young is president of the firm, which was established in 1981. The Young Group offers product development, testing, analysis, innovation, technical writing, diversification and acquisition counseling. Nominated for PEI membership by Jeff Bauer, B&BEquip, South Bend, IN; Bill Campion, CampionGrp, Kittery, ME; and Dick Hoke, EconomyEqp, Plain City, OH.

Ontario installation and service contractor. Phoenix Contracting of Thunder Bay, Inc., P. O. Box 517, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4W4, has applied for affiliate division membership. Trent Grof is president of the firm, which was established in 1993. Phoenix Contracting of Thunder Bay installs and services petroleum handling and commercial lighting equipment. Nominated for PEI membership by Gerry McKay, KellrEqLtd, Calgary, AB; Terry Murphy, WaggsEqp, North Bay, ON; and Ven Cote, ZCL, Edmonton, AB.