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Fall 2001 Hard Times
I think that I can safely say that everyone in the petroleum distributing business has seen Hard Times during the year 2001. No matter the size of your company you have undoubtedly faced many challenges over the last year.I believe the best course of action during trying times is to go back to the basics. Basics like closely watching our inventories, expenses, accounts receivables, profit margins, and debts. That list is certainly important and tends to scream for our attention, however there are two other items that should be at the top of our basics list, yet they are often overlooked. Customers and Employees. Without customers no business can survive. When your customers believe that you are looking out for their best interests they are not looking for a better price from another company. They trust you to keep a fair price and to make sure they are taken care of. Keep your customers happy and they will be your best salesmen. Happy customers talk and spread the word about companies they are pleased with.
You can’t keep your customers happy unless your employees are happy. One disgruntled employee can ruin a business. Employees want to believe, just like our customers, that we are looking out for their best interests. It is not just a big paycheck that they are looking for. Most studies show that employees want to feel appreciated and valued above anything else. Look for ways to show your employees how important they are to your business this year. Remember the basics, your C’s and E’s, this year.
As my term as president of AOMA comes to an end, I would like to personally thank the Board of Directors, the staff (Ann, Karen, and Lorrie), and most of all you, the members of the AOMA, who make this association the best, not only in Arkansas, but also across the country.
Health and Blessings to each of you in 2002.
Kenny Shipp
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t the end of this upcoming convention I will be honored and privileged to join a very elite group of 47 men who are Past Presidents of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association. I will be #48. Twenty Nine Past Presidents are still living and twenty are still in the oil business . We will honor these men during this convention. Their pictures will be posted in the trade show and we will introduce them at the Industry Luncheon on Friday. Each of them gave of their time and money to represent the petroleum wholesalers in Arkansas. Before we started the trade show in 1979, there was never enough money in the association bank account to help defray the expenses of the president to attend national meetings or to lobby in Washington. They paid all of their own expenses. When you see them at the convention, stop and thank them for all they have done for all of us.
