B u l k P l an t s
as well as our terminal operators to really
persevere through that whole experience.
I think that also showed from an industry
standpoint. The sensitivity that our industry
has with its infrastructure – you take a couple
of terminals of operation and it generally has
a devastating effect on the supply chain. But
despite those challenges, we continued to
service many of our New York City police
and transit accounts and their emergency
vehicles and that was a real highlight for us.
there – The Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism
Security Act that we watch very closely and
others. It is something that I think speaks to
the value of an organization like ILTA as all of
the other industry associations out there that
are well-positioned to keep an eye on these
developments and influence it on the front
end to make sure the best possible regulation
or legislation can result.
FON: You have also taken over as the ILTA
chairman. What are some of the accomplishments you personally wish to pursue
during your tenure?
FON: What do you anticipate businesswise in 2013?
Russell: I think we see some of the market challenges extending into the new year,
so diversification once again is a key. We
always strive for and look to expand. I suppose from a terminal operations standpoint
we, like others, have invested an awful lot in
the safety culture over the past several years
and it's fun to see that gain a lot of traction.
We really believe that by doing so we not
only have a safer culture, but also greater
efficiency as we leverage training and more
efficient operations lead to cost reductions.
FON: The Obama administration is going
to be in office for the next four years and
I've heard rumblings that there are going
to be an awful lot of new regulations in a
variety of sectors coming down the pipeline. Is there anything coming up that
Sprague is looking to deal with?
Russell: I think it is anything and everything. I can say this is as a former regulator
myself – quite a while ago – but I think when
it comes to new regulations there is no lack
of initiative on the part of the federal government. And just because you can regulate
something does not mean it's always of value.
I think that's something that ILTA is well
focused on and we are well focused on it at
Sprague. And I think from both standpoints
we have to make sure we invest in education
and information to make sure we are proactive so as those issues come forward we are
able to enable regulators and legislators (with)
the best information possible prior to making
decisions. There are numerous examples out
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