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Business OPeRATiOns N e w s 22 FEBRUARY 2015 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com ONSpOt GOES GLOBAL Onspot of North America and VBG Group of Sweden (owner of the Onspot trademarks, designs and products) are pleased to announce the new GLOBAL list of Onspot distributors that now in- clude 31 distibutors in 26 countries. Since it's origination in 1977, the Onspot automatic tire chain system has received worldwide acceptance for its benefits in providing drivers with in- creased safety and productivity in snow and ice. The Global distribution list can be found on the website www.onspot. com/onspot_global_partners.html Or by going to www.onspot.com and click on the link on the left side of our home page that says: Onspot Global Partners. For more information contact: Onspot of North America: 800-766-7768, www.onspot. com or onspot@onspot.com AHR ExpO tO DONAtE INNOvAtION AWARD ENtRY FEES OF OvER $16,000 tO CHICAGO HUmAN SERvICES AGENCY AHR Expo Management has announced that Metropolitan Family Services, the Chicago area's longest serving human services agency, has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 AHR Expo Inno- vation Awards entry fees donation. A check in the amount of $16,400 will be presented to Metropolitan at the Inno- vation Awards Presentation which will take place at the 2015 AHR Expo on Tuesday, January 27th. For more than 157 years, Metropoli- tan Family Services has helped thou- sands of families succeed by providing services in the areas of education, emo- tional wellness, economic sustainabil- ity and empowerment. Metropolitan will use this contribution to purchase a boiler and HVACR components for its Southwest Cook County facility that serves nearly 7,000 children and families annually. "Every year we select a local not- for-profit organization from the area where the Show is being held to receive the entry fees from the AHR Expo In- novation Awards," said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages AHR Expo. "It is especially meaning- ful when this donation can be used for such a worthwhile purpose as improving the lives of families in need by using the HVAC technology seen at the Show." Stevens added that Metropolitan was also the recipient of the 2012 AHR Expo Innovation Award donation when the Show was last held in Chicago, us- ing the donation to upgrade rooftop HVAC units and boiler systems at one of its other community centers, saving the not-for-profit thousands of dollars on its energy bills. The 2015 AHR Expo Award comes at a time of sharply growing need for low-in- come families and the agencies that serve them. Despite a challenging economy, Metropolitan Family Services found ways to expand its reach by 56% since 2012, serving 67,150 people last year. "We are very grateful for this gener- ous contribution from AHR Expo," said Ric Estrada, President and CEO of Met- ropolitan Family Services. "It not only helps us provide a more comfortable en- vironment for our families, it also allows us to save on energy costs that we'd much rather apply to critical family services." Since the inception of the AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition, more than $140,000 has been donated to not- for-profit organizations. For more information visit the Show's website at http://www.ahrexpo.com U.S. SmALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAvE pOSItIvE ECONOmIC OUtLOOk FOR 2015 Endurance International Group released the results of a survey of its U.S.-based small business customers. The survey found that 66% of small business owners have a positive economic outlook for 2015 as compared to 2014. However, a majority (69%) remains deeply skeptical that the new leadership in Congress will be able to address issues important to small businesses. The results of the survey, released on the eve of President Obama's sixth State of the Union address, reveal that while 87% of U.S. small businesses feel that Congress has not been effective in ad- dressing issues important to small busi- nesses, 74% believe that Congress should play a larger role in helping grow U.S. small businesses. A majority (61%) of small business owners do not believe that the President's State of the Union address will have significant impact on their busi- ness planning for 2015. Asked to rank key issues important to small businesses, survey respondents ranked Taxes as well as their Ability to Obtain Bank Financing as their top two concerns. On other key policy issues, 55% of survey respondents said Tax Code Reform also "Impacts my business signif- icantly." Survey respondents were mixed on the impact of Healthcare Reform, with 37% responding that it "Impacts my business significantly," 36% responding "No Impact" and 27% responding "Im- pacts my business in minor ways." The Endurance customers surveyed, all of whom have web presence solutions from the company, regard Net Neutrality as an important issue. 49% responded "We are very grateful for this generous contribution from AHR Expo," said Ric Estrada, President and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services. "It not only helps us provide a more comfortable environment for our families, it also allows us to save on energy costs that we'd much rather apply to critical family services."