Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/122447
CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS Fellowship Opportunities with P&CMA W ebster's Dictionary defines "fellow" as: (1) A comrade; associate (2) An equal; peer. Taking that a step further, we can surmise that "fellowship" is hanging out with our comrades, associates, equals and peers! To this end, nothing says "fellowship" like two recent P&CMA events. First, in February, 46 association members traveled to the Bahamas to participate in our Winter Management Trip. To say that this trip defined "fellowship" would be an understatement. Jobber members, c-store operators, associate members and their spouses all enjoyed four days filled with food, fun and….yes, "fellowship." Although the primary goal of this trip wasn't what most would call business, the fact of the matter is that many successful business endeavors have been created as a result of the P&CMA Winter Management Trip. The trip creates numerous opportunities to spend quality time with your customers, your vendors and your peers. And where I'm from, that's how a lot of business gets done. The next event, the Gulf Coast Food and Fuel Expo, came in March. If you haven't been to the Gulf Coast Food and Fuel Expo, you have missed yet another opportunity for "fellowship." This year's Expo featured more than 130 exhibit booths and 400+ attendees. The event began with a golf outing at the beautiful Fallen Oak Golf Club. Later that afternoon attendees were able to select from a variety of educational seminars specifically tailored for petroleum marketers and c-store operators. Following the seminars many "major brands" held brand meetings for their jobber/marketer customers. A welcome reception capped off the evening allowing all participants, jobbers and exhibiting companies the opportunity to have some good one-on-one time in a relaxed, social environment. The second day began with a presentation from Dr. Kevin Elko, the noted sports psychologist who has helped numerous professional and collegiate teams take their performances to the next level. Dr. Elko had some very insightful points on how we could improve our business at all levels. Following Dr. Elko was the Main Event, the Gulf Coast Food and Fuel Expo. 6 OIL PROPHETS SPRING 2013 Talk about "fellowship" and the opportunity to interact with customers, suppliers and peers…..NOTHING beats the opportunities presented by the Gulf Coast Food and Fuel Expo. So you are reading this and thinking you've missed out on all the fun and "fellowship." Well, I've got some exciting news. There's still hope for you! This June 6-9, the P&CMA summer convention will be held at The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. This beautiful resort is one of the South's treasures, and you'll not want to miss this year's convention as we "Honor our Legacy" and present our Inaugural Class of inductees into the Alabama Petroleum and Convenience Marketing Hall of Fame. This year our convention committee has worked hard to plan an event that features something for everyone in the family, so be sure to save the date and plan on joining us in Point Clear. In reality, the association exists to protect your business at the local, state and national levels. But it also exists to provide networking opportunities that will also positively impact your business. "Fellowship" is a good thing and nobody does it better than P&CMA. I look forward to seeing you at an association event in the near future. Now, I'm off to work on my latest project. Those of us in Opp, Alabama have seen the success of the hit TV Show Duck Dynasty. The way we see it, those guys are a lot like we are in Opp, so we figured why not "Rattlesnake Rednecks!" I think it will be a hit………. Sincerely, Shayne Lord Chairman of the Board