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Sixty miles from the Cancun airport, as you're heading south down Mexico's busy Highway 307, a left turn at Tulum takes you down a rough, rutted jungle road and straight [...]

DRIVE-BY FLY-FISHING INCIDENTS have been increasing in recent seasons alone a 100-mile stretch of Texas beach road beginning at Port Aransas and ending at the East Cut at Port Mansfield. [...]

Petroleum marketers and convenience store operators are using PC-based open system computer networks that interface with leak detection consoles, dispensers, tank probes and point-of-sale controllers to obtain real-time data necessary for satisfying requirements in environmental compliance, leak monitoring and fuel management. According to manufacturers, the new leak detection and fuel management systems' open system feature enables petroleum marketers to upgrade existing computer systems instead of replacing them., Petroleum marketers and convenience store operators are using PC-based, 'open system' computer networks linked to tank probes, point-of-sale controllers, leak detection consoles and dispensers to gather real-time data for meeting [...]

A growing number of C-store operators have begun providing an array of financial services - from check cashing to full service mini-banking - that generate income, attract new customers and [...]

Customers prefer convenience stores which give fast and friendly service, complete stocks, clean facilities, good security and competitive prices. However, convenience stores are best remembered for their promotions. Promotions are important in creating excitement among the customers and generating sales. The six types of promotions which give the most impact are anniversaries, incentives for frequent customers, external cross-promoting with local partners, internal-cost promoting for profit centers, mascots and free items such as pens and key chains., One thing convenience store owners and petroleum marketers have learned is that customers have long memories. Customers have learned to rate a good shopping experience as one that provides quick [...]

Convenience stores have protested against the national television report aired by ABC-TV 20-20 news magazine. The prime-time report aired on Feb. 9, 1996 featured crimes against convenience stores and late-night store employees. The chilling scenes of murders and armed robberies made the viewers conclude that security was lax in these establishments. The National Assn. of Convenience Stores stated that ABC had sensationalized these tragedies and that security is their top priority., Battered, but not broken by a national television report that questioned its overall security practices and performance, convenience store industry leaders fired back at what they considered serious distortions and [...]

Oil company suppliers and their branded marketers have finally learned to work hand-in-hand as evidenced by innovative capital incentive programs, faster processing of jobbers' requirements, and involvement of the marketers in decision-making. Marketers point out that new ideas are pouring in due to changes in management and major suppliers are providing more capital because of their belief that marketers substantially contribute to profitability.

Petroleum marketers should evaluate several important factors when buying leak detection and fuel management systems for petroleum storage tanks. These include the level of the system manufacturer's product support and technical capability, the price of the system and the level of automation offered by the system., Marketers should ask the right questions and manufacturers should have the right answers before marketers make buying decisions on the wide variety of leak detection and fuel management systems now [...]

The country's branded fast-food chains have captured a solid beachhead in the petroleum and convenience store market in the past two years. And the offensive has just began, officials at [...]

Independent petroleum retailers and convenience store operators are faced with numerous challenges as well opportunities for growth. Many independent operators believe that their success lies in developing strategies that capitalize on new technologies to enhance customer satisfaction. They added that the key to achieving this goal is effective and responsive employees. To attract such employees, operators are striving to establish a higher compensation system as well as attractive employment opportunities for their staff., Like everyone else in the broad spectrum of companies that comprise the petroleum and convenience store industries, small and midsized independent retailers face formidable challenges in tomorrow's marketplace. But there [...]

Regulatory compliance costs are taking an increasingly bigger portion of petroleum industry operational expenditures. However, many companies are realizing that compliance costs can be minimized with the help of tank gauging, leak detection, computerized inventory and risk management equipment. Industry executives state that these new technologies bring operational costs down and lessens manpower requirements., Many marketers are finding that the costly burden of regulatory compliance is being lessened by carefully thought out strategies for getting the maximum in business benefits out of tank gauging, [...]

The National Assn. of Convenience Stores' 1994 State of the Industry report revealed that revenues from nonalcoholic beverages reached $6.28 billion in 1993 or about 15% of all store sales. Despite the strong sales performance, however, many convenience store operators stressed that sales could still be boosted through equipment upgrades and better marketing strategies. A discussion of several success nonalcoholic beverage equipment upgrade and marketing programs is presented., They're refreshing, they're tasty, they're healthy...and they move like hotcakes at a lumber camp breakfast, especially on a hot August afternoon. As a merchandise category, soft drinks outperform most other [...]

If you are a marketer still weighing Stage II options, do you select a user-friendly, bellowless vacuum-assist product for the long haul or look for the economy and simplicity of [...]

The demand for gasoline station equipment that can comply with fugitive emissions and vapor recovery laws has increased as the deadline for compliance approaches. However, some stations are divided over the need for bellowed nozzles and bellowless nozzles and their contribution to reducingenvironmental pollution. Meanwhile, some distributors reported that they have already installed Stage II equipment in most of their service stations across the country., As the Stage II compliance deadlines draw closer for most of the nation's higher-volume stations and stores, many petroleum marketers continue to ask a wide variety of questions concerning vapor [...]

Fat margins. Rapid inventory turns. Proven customer draw. It's no wonder that fast foodservice has become such an attractive investment for a growing number of convenience store/gasoline operators nationwide. Many [...]

The major brand name fast-food chains have discovered the petroleum/convenience store business. Facing saturation in some markets and an intensifying battle with competitors for market share, fast-food companies are actively [...]

Gasoline station operators are required to install vapor recovery and tank monitoring equipment with options for monthly monitoring which include automatic tank gauging, vapor and groundwater monitoring and interstitial monitoring. Petroleum Equipment Institute surveys reflect the popularity of automatic tank gauging methods because they save time and have high accuracy. They also project a positive corporate image because consumers see a willingness to invest in up-to-date technology., The five-year phase-in for owners and operators of underground storage tanks to install mandated leak detection has passed, but many U.S. marketers continue to wrestle with the issue. Some marketers [...]

Pump, hose and dispenser manufacturers meet government, consumer and marketer demands with a deft dose of technology. Finding more convenient, environmentally sound and cost-competitive ways to deliver fuel to the [...]

National Petroleum News has investigated National Broadcasting Company's allegations that most of the US's gas stations are fraudulent and corrupt. The regulation of the gas and oil industry is highly stringent. Weights and measures officials regularly check dispensers for accurate readings. Technology has made cheating difficult so that incidence is only related to 1% of the market. Gas stations who are found guilty face fines as high as 3 times their profits and other criminal penalties., Dateline NBC's two-part series on gasoline cheating has cast some long shadows on the industry's integrity. National Petroleum News has discovered, however, that while such scams do occur, they represent [...]

Gasoline pump manufacturers are now developing products that comply with Stage II vapor recovery guidelines. Gasoline retailers and marketers can choose from among the many designs and products available. Compliance with Stage II requirements would entail expenidtures for marketers, hence the need for choosing the most cost effective system. Marketers also determine which particular type of vapor recovery system they wish to install., Petroleum marketers striving to be in compliance with 1993 Stage II vapor recovery deadlines can now choose from a dizzying selection of technologically advanced hoses and nozzles to satisfy the [...]

Oil marketers are seriously considering their options in complying with the 1993 EPA deadlines on the testing of underground storage tanks (UST). Since the announcement of EPA's final rules on UST leak detection, new methods and processes have been developed on automatic tank gauging, vapor and groundwater monitoring, interstitial monitoring and other electronic systems. In spite of these innovations, marketers are still deciding which method will be the most cost-effective and reliable for leak detection., This year, for many owners of active underground storage tanks, the leak detection game really is afoot. Facing Environmental Protection Agency deadlines, marketers have seriously begun investigating what options they [...]

To help return its prominence as a pioneer and innovative force in the C-store industry, Dallas-based Southland Corp. announced in January an ambitious plan designed to overhaul its merchandising organization. [...]

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) requires the cleanup of all environmental contamination at designated commercial areas. As a result, the task of cleaning up petroleum- contaminated areas has been of steadily growing concern for the petroleum marketers over the past decade. They do not only comply with the regulations but instead, take the trouble of understanding them such that they would be able to choose the most efficient and cost effective method that would suit their service station site., When Hersch Caudill gets calls from service station owners, jobbers, tank farm operators or other petroleum marketers, their plight rings familiar--their soil remediation problems need practical, efficient and cost-effective solutions. [...]

It has been more than three years since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its final rules on underground storage tanks, creating a compliance-driven market for leak detection equipment and [...]

The deadline draws near for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make a final ruling on whether used oil should be listed as a hazardous waste. But many of the [...]

For some, the stakes might be survival-staying open or perhaps shutting down one or more low-volume rural outlets. For a number of small, rural communities, aboveground storage tanks could ensure [...]

The year so far has already shown strong volume growth in intermodal shipping. Upcoming regulatory changes that may tighten truckload capacity could tip the scales toward intermodal even further. For [...]

For EZ Go you could say it was one of the more intriguing and challenging opportunities to come down the pike in a long time. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority was [...]

Equipment manufacturers are continuing the search for efficient and cost-effective methods of fuel storage, leak detection and monitoring to help petroleum marketers comply with EPA rules on underground storage tanks. A noticeable trend favoring the use of aboveground storage tanks has been noted. Advanced leak detection systems and continuous monitoring systems are discussed., While many petroleum marketers have made choices and committed expenditures for underground storage tank equipment to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations, equipment manufacturers continue to seek efficient and [...]

Mexico is spearheading attempts by Latin American countries to modernize and expand the retail gasoline sector. A recent reorganization by the state-owned oil monopoly, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), has sparked the interest of US investors who see Mexico as a billion-dollar market. Pemex also plans to build more than 3,000 new gasoline stations by the year 2000 since more than 90% of the country's stations are 15 years old or more., The effort by many Latin American countries to open markets and modernize gasoline sales to consumers is drawing a growing number of willing partners South of the border. In Mexico, [...]

Smith Brothers find that Houston's collar counties produce less volume for Bay Oil Co., but generate more profits through careful management. Two years ago, brothers Link and Brooks Smith decided [...]

Refiners, convenience store operators and gasoline wholesalers are among U.S. companies already benefiting from Latin America's big move toward free markets. Attracting much of the U.S. industry's interest is Mexico's [...]

Sue Palmer co-rounded Lucky Lady Oil 'Co. 15 years ago, but she likes to talk about the company's more recent history. In 1989, after 13 years in the business, Palmer [...]

. Baldor Electric's heavy emphasis on breadth of line and product quality requires that suppliers know the part they're expected to play The purchasing department at Baldor Electric recently sent [...]

The world's best year-round places to throw a fly at tailing redfish AFTER WAITING FOR A DAME heavy fog to lift we made our run from a marina on Texas's […]

Petroleum marketers contemplating on installing fountain systems should consider system uniformity and ingredient balance. Their operation can be very intricate but once the quality control techniques are learned by the retail operator, they can be very profitable, with average margins of about 60% or more. The elements that should be integrated in fountains are the water source and filtration system, ice source, carbonator, syrup package, fittings and tubings, beverage dispenser and dispensing valves., In the eyes of a C-store customer, a fountain drink program may seem as simple as pie, like fixing a cup of Mr. Coffee. Experienced C-store operators know better, of [...]

Convenience store chains are putting up branded sandwich programs to increase the revenues of their outlets. Marketing experts advise that aside from selling a known sandwich brand and using ample signage, convenience store operators must also analyze their store's location to determine the viability of starting a sandwich program. Store operators would also do well by not depending on store volume and competing head-on with a freestanding fast food chain., Branded fast food sandwich programs are showing convenience stores how to serve the customer of the '90s, says David Zaborski, director of marketing for Miller Enterprises, operator of 120 C-stores [...]

Petroleum marketers running their own fleets are making an in-depth study on the costs of operating them. Some motor fuel transportation operators have realized that common carriers are more economically efficient to run these fleets. Deregulation which has affected transportation is also another reason petrol marketers are assessing the costs of transport operations., A number of independent petroleum marketers who have followed tradition in operating their own transportation fleets are taking a hard look at the true costs of running these operations. Some [...]

US investors can look into the Latin American market due to Cuba's potentials for gasoline and convenience store markets and Colombia's modernization of its downstream marketing. Argentina's participation in the international oil business makes it a good potential for downstream marketing. Brazil has also been modernizing its downstream marketing network., The modernization of Colombia's downstream market Cuba as a potential prime market for gasoline and convenience store development are the latest incentives to stir U. S. business interest in Latin [...]

Many truckstops throughout the US are adding new facilities and services to attract more truckers, travelers and local customers. They have installed new convenience stores, fast food services and automated teller machines to increase their customer base. Meanwhile, the National Assn. of Truck Stop Operators, (NATSO) noted that the industry must remain watchful against new challenges that threaten the truckstop operators. NATSO cited proposals to amend the 1956 prohibition against commercial development of rights-of-way along highways and new tax regulations as some of the major challenges to the industry., Many of the nation's truckstops and travel centers are taking on a new look. Operators are adding convenience stores, fast food and other innovative marketing options to broaden their appeal [...]

A number of petroleum marketers are embarking on upgrades of their leak detection systems as they become aware that risk management must transcend regulatory compliance and as the 1998 deadline for compliance with underground storage tank regulations nears. In so doing, these marketers are not only maximizing management capabilities but are also utilizing these systems as business tools., With the EPA's 1998 deadline for underground storage tank system upgrades and final phase-in of leak detection requirements looming ever closer, leak detection has moved to the forefront in the [...]

Independent petroleum companies would do well to draw up a Latin American investment strategy. A good starting point would be Mexico, with the benefits brought about by the North American Free Trade Agreement and the country's strong economic relations with the US. Investment efforts can then be spread to Central America. However, investors are hampered by the aggressive privatization efforts of Latin American governments, as these keep them from building new relationships with partners and clients., Opportunities to help Latin America nations replace mom-and-pop groceries with modern convenience stores, equip antiquated gasoline stations and provide retail expertise for expanding consumer economies continue to open for U.S. [...]

Convenience stores are upgrading their facilities and improving the presentation of their products, especially confectionery products, to gain a greater share of the market. The marketing techniques being employed by convenience stores include the use of attractive dispensers, cold vaults, adding novelty items and changing their checkstands to attract more customers., Let's face it: Candy is an obsession product. Regular candy consumers--particularly young children and adolescents--need their daily fix and normally don't need any special retail treatment to activate their hot [...]

A California petroleum marketer who had done business for 25 years with one of the largest banks in the state recently was told by the lender to take his business [...]