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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New Vendor Awards Charles Bursey, Sr. EW BLOOD DRIVES OPPORTUNITY AND INNOVATION IN ANY INDUSTRY. FUEL OIL News created its New Vendor Awards to highlight companies that are fresh entrants in providing new products and services to our industry. These companies have seen a need and feel that they can provide fuel dealers and marketers with their ver- sion of a better "mousetrap." N Bob Harriett The criterion used to identify these companies is participation as a new exhibi- tor at one of the major, industry focused trade shows during the year. This year, those shows were the Atlantic Regional Energy Expo and the Oil & Energy Service Professionals Convention and Trade Show. Next year it will include the New England Fuel Institute which is bi-annual. The New Vendor Awards will be pre- sented in three classes, as available each year: 1. 2. 3. Fuel Handling and Storage. These compa- nies provide solutions relative to the fuel (oil, propane, wood pellets, etc.) product and include: bulk plants; trucks; truck tanks and truck equipment; hedging solu- tions; additives; filters; home storage tanks – etc. Unfortunately, there were no viable entrants in this category this year. Heating Appliances and Combustion Technologies. These companies provide boilers; furnaces; hot water heaters; solar and other alternative solutions; hydronic solutions; warm air solutions; and burn- ers and combustion components. Business Solutions. These are typically home office and operational solutions. They would include back office software vendors; accounting and other profes- sional service providers; environmental service providers; business forms and related; and HR solutions. 14 The winners were selected by a panel of three judges, with a range of industry expe- rience and perspective. This year's panel: Charles Bursey began working for an oil company in Jamestown RI industry in 1963 after he was discharged from the military. He worked in service management for a number of companies. He currently works for industry manufacturer F.W. Webb, Warwick, R.I., and serves as a service col- umnist for this magazine. Bob Harriett is President and CEO of Harriett's Energy Solutions, a third gen- eration heating-oil marketer in Medford, NJ. Born in 1958, Bob received his under- graduate degree in Business Finance from the University of Delaware before entering the family business. Bob is the South Jersey VP for the Fuel Merchants Association and past president of both the better Home Heat Council and Oil Heat Association of SJ. Bob is married with two boys and resides in Medford, NJ. Shane Sweet is in management with a major Northeast fuel marketer and has served the industry as CEO of New England Fuel Institute and executive vice president/director of the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association. He lives in Manchester Center, Vermont. Obviously, there will be a lot of "apples to oranges" comparisons between the different solution providers being high- AUGUST 2012 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com Shane Sweet lighted. Therefore, the judges were asked to make their rankings based on how much general interest each company description generated. For example, did the company seem to address an underserved need? How important is the service or product offering? If you had read the description in a trade show directory would you be more inclined to make a special effort to stop by the company's booth? And now, on to the Awards. HEATING APPLIANCES AND COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGIES. These companies provide boilers; fur- naces; hot water heaters; solar and other alternative solutions; hydronic solutions; warm air solutions; and burners and com- bustion components.