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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BIO: Charlie Bursey began his long career in the oil heating industry in 1963. He has deliv- ered coal, kerosene and oil and serviced heating and cooling equipment. He has also managed service departments, worked for a manufacturer and currently works with F.W. Webb, Warwick, R.I. He is a recipient of the Association of Oil & Energy Service Professionals' pres- tigious Hugh McKee Award for making an outstanding contri- bution to the fuel oil industry; having had an understanding and cooperation with his/her fellow man; and having unselfishly aided the industry in education and related activities. CONTACT: ChasBursey@aol.com Charles Bursey, Sr. SERVICE 50 AUGUST 2016 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com OVER THE PAST EIGHT TO TEN YEARS, many established full-service oil company own- ers have diversified into new areas of business, such as air conditioning, water conditioning and LP gas filling stations etc. From what I hear, these opportunities have worked well and have added much needed revenue for many opera- tions. I also continue to hear about how the fuel oil business seems to be on the decline. H o w e v e r , b a s e d o n the views of many of the experts who track this subject and on the many articles I have read, this is debatable. As I've mentioned in the past, much of the decline in fuel oil sales by gallon can be attributed to the much higher-efficiency and low-mass equipment being manufactured. An undisputed trend that has contributed to the decline in oil sales has been the number of customers who have converted from oil to either propane or natural gas over the past years. We have also witnessed how rebates offered by the natural gas companies have become a huge incentive for conversions, let alone the recent (but now rationalized) price difference between the two fuels that encouraged changing from oil to gas. There are still several potential new busi- ness opportunities that for the most part remain untapped, and that can be a means of adding to the bottom line. One is air quality, for both residential and commercial applications. You may not have real- ized that casinos, for example, have systems that perform several hundred air changes per hour to give their customers a cleaner quality of air. H u m i d i f i c a t i o n i s a n o t h e r a r e a t h a t doesn't seem to get the attention it should, but it too is extremely important in having a healthy and comfortable home or work place. Many homes today lack proper humidifica- tion, and that, along with air quality, can lead to health issues. There are several manufacturing com- panies that offer both t r a i n i n g a n d e q u i p - ment relative to these business opportunities that I have mentioned. Another new and u p c o m i n g a r e a o f business that I hear a lot about is the swim- m i n g p o o l s e r v i c e business, which like air conditioning, is a great seasonal busi- ness. I also think that in the near future we will see more of the sup- ply companies adding pool heaters, pumps, filters and repair parts to their lines. I know there are some oil com- panies in the District of Columbia and the surrounding areas that, as soon as the cherry blossoms arrive in April, will begin their in- ground swimming pool services. Besides the areas of equipment that I men- tioned, they will actually do pool openings, which includes vacuuming and adding chemi- cals as needed to ensure that their customers' in-ground pools are clean, safe and healthy. I can also say that this business is very profit- able, because the chemicals bring in the most revenue. And remember that this is repeat business: opening and closing the pool, ser- vicing the equipment, weekly cleaning and vacuuming, balancing the chemicals and replacing liners. l F O N Potential New Business Another new and upcom- ing area of business that I hear a lot about is the swimming pool service business, which like air conditioning, is a great seasonal business... And remember that this is repeat business: opening and closing the pool...