The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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T R AD E S HOW WR A P - UP event idea, as well as to the Nassau-Suffolk Chapter and the Delaware Valley Chapter for their ongoing support of projects. On Wednesday, attendees took advan- tage of additional classes in the morning and afternoon, as well as time at the trade show. In the evening, Grundfos co-sponsored the association’s annual Theme Night Party. Next year’s event will be held in Providence, R.I., from May 20-24, 2012. NEW ENGLAND FUEL INSTITUTE’S 34TH NORTH AMERICAN HEATING AND ENERGY EXPO A product image problem, aggressive competition from natural gas providers, and price volatility are “daunting chal- lenges” facing the heating oil industry, Michael Trunzo said as he presided over the New England Fuel Institute’s 34th North American Heating and Energy Expo, the first since he was named presi- dent and chief executive officer of NEFI earlier this year. How to meet those challenges? “If you can’t beat them, join them” seemed to be the message from a number of speakers, as they urged fuel oil deal- ers to diversify their business lines, to be “fuel neutral” or “BTU neutral,” and to train technicians and call them “home performance contractors” or “energy conservation specialists” who perform “whole house energy assessments.” Gault Energy, Westport, Conn., is doing all that, and more. Sam Gault, president, and Megan Smith, marketing director, described the transformation of Gault Energy, a 150-year-old heating oil company, into a fuel neutral energy company through expansion into propane, natural gas ser- vice and selling electricity – “Gault Power by Verde Energy USA.” The company ventured into the electricity business fol- lowing deregulation in Connecticut. It has somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 electricity customers so far. Delivering the most gallons possible is a typical goal of many fuel oil dealers, Gault and Smith noted in a session titled, www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | JULY 2011 13 “Strategies for Growth In a Competitive Market.” Instead, they urged an emphasis on customer service. For example, they said the company expanded into propane because its customers said they wanted it. Further, providing a range of fuels and services supports a move into whole house energy assessments. “Less gallons, more customers,” was the overall message from the Gault executives: “People like it when you save them money,” they said. Attendees and more than 200 exhibi- tors spent much of the two-day event, June 7-8 at John B. Hynes Memorial Our new version has been released, contain- ing many new features which have been added without changing the Easy-To-Use format. Complete Degree Day Forecasting System | Accounts Receivable with Daily Aging | Burner Service Billing, History, Inventory | Customer Control & Credit Analysis | Budgets, Collection Letters | Extensive Sales Tax Reporting | Vehicle Maintenance | Tank & Truck Liquid Inventory Control | Lowest Credit Card Selection Module | Increase Gallons/Stop, Minimize Runouts | And Many More Features.... Market Line Computers | 317 Harrington Ave. | Closter, NJ 07624 •Call Today For Complete Product Literature! 800-210-1498