August 22, 2014

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! 

NATURAL GAS VEHICLE SUMMIT IN OCTOBER -- EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION
MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER SATISFACTION SURVEY

This week, the Star Ledger reported that New Jersey gas prices fell to their lowest levels in six months. The statewide average price is currently $3.27 per gallon, the lowest its been since mid-February.  At times such as these, when gas prices are low, and predicted to continue falling, the call for alternative fuels dies down to a mere whisper. As such, discussions about alternatives such as natural gas have been moved to the back burner. However, it is my responsibility to keep my members informed and put you in the best position to succeed in the future. 
 
Already, there are entrepreneurs in the Midwest that are taking advantage of this emerging market and setting themselves up to be the first ones through the door when the industry takes off. I want YOU to be able to do the same! As more car manufacturers begin to embrace natural gas technology and incorporate it into their fleets, YOU need to be prepared to begin meeting new demand and finding alternate sources of income, as demand for gasoline declines.
 
As such, I would like to take the time once again to bring to your attention the Natural Gas Vehicle Market Development & Infrastructure Summit in Boston on October 21-22.  Please click HERE for more information about the summit and for the registration information. The "Super Early Bird Discount" ends August 29th, so act quickly!  I will be attending and I welcome your participation too!
 
I am still certain that natural gas will be a profitable market for your businesses in the future, as long as you are prepared to embrace the change!
 
Now, I'd like to move onto the Member Benefit Partner Survey that you all should have received in the mail. For those of you who attended the breakfast meetings, you fully understand the effort that NJGCA is putting into the Member Benefit Partner Program.  It is important to me to know what our members think of the vendors and suppliers that participate in our program.  We have expanded our effort, which is why you recently received a survey from us in the mail.
 
I am asking you to please follow the instructions and complete the survey and get it back to my office.  We have even made it easy for you to take the survey online, by clicking HERE. Even if you do not use a vendor in the NJGCA MBP program, we want to know the vendor that you DO use, and your level of satisfaction. Perhaps, this vendor will be considered for participation in next year's MBP brochure and recommendation to our membership.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the office at 973-376-0066.

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading.  See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

Do you have a business for sale?  Are you looking for a new location or opportunity?

• NJGCA regularly assists members looking to sell their business by getting the word out.  Since everyone reading this message is involved in the small business gasoline retail, convenience store, and automotive repair trades, it is an ideal medium to connect with interested buyers and prospects!

NJGCA also helps members sell equipment by placing ads in the Road Warrior!

• If you'd like to list equipment for sale, or have an open position you'd like to make other industry professionals aware of, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and let us help you get the word out! 

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

8/20/2014:
Paterson pushes ahead on sick time requirement for private sector employees
Following the lead of the state’s two largest cities, Paterson is on its way to adopting an ordinance that would require all employers within the Silk City to provide their workers with sick time. Over 4,000 Paterson residents signed petitions supporting the initiative, according to New Jersey Working Families, a nonprofit group that’s part of a coalition of organizations pushing for sick time laws around the state. Under the proposal, employees would be allowed to accrue one hour of sick time for every 30 hours they work. The workers would be allowed to carry sick days from one year to the next, but they would not be able to cash in unused sick days, according to proponents of the initiative. The exceptions would be government entities and employers that have union contracts in place with their workers. Newark and Jersey City adopted the sick day requirement earlier this year. The city of Passaic also is weighing such a measure. A bill that would impose the requirement statewide is being considered in the NJ legislature. The Paterson council has scheduled a public hearing and final vote on the proposal for its September 9 meeting.
 
8/18/2014:
Gas prices in N.J. fall to lowest level since February
Gas prices in New Jersey have dropped this summer and as of today, three stations in Union and Middlesex counties were charging as low as $2.98 for a gallon of unleaded. That marked the first time since February that a station in the state sold gas for less than $3 a gallon, highlighting what oil analysts say is a trend that should continue into Labor Day and beyond. The US now produces 3 million more barrels a day of crude oil than it did four years ago, which has helped insulate it from the kind of turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine that five years ago might have caused sharp price increases, market analysts said. The oversupply of crude oil coupled with weakening demand for gasoline helped push down the U.S. average price-at-the-pump by about 25 cents since June, when it was at its highest level in 2014, Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at GasBuddy.com, said. Today, a gallon of unleaded gas averaged $3.27 in NJ, compared with the US average of $3.44. Both amounts were the lowest they’ve been since February.
 
08/18/2014:
NJGCA in the News: N.J. Applies Federal Disaster Funds to Buy Generators
The Christie administration recently announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved the state of New Jersey's request for more than $2.5 million to purchase 52 portable generators. State emergency responders can deploy the generators during major power outages to critical assets such as shelters, hospitals, public safety facilities and gas stations located along key thoroughfares. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) will store the generators at three strategic locations in the northern, central and southern parts of the State. NJOEM will deploy the generators based on criteria including nature of the emergency and the threat of loss of life or injury to the public. "As we learned during Superstorm Sandy, reliable access to backup power when the electric grid fails is crucial to ensuring a swift and effective emergency response" said Colonel Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the NJ State Police and state director of emergency management. "By establishing a cache of strategically located portable generators, state emergency management officials are taking an important step in making New Jersey more resilient when faced with future disasters."
 
08/15/2014:
Does Paid Sick Leave Have Healthy Chance of Approval in New Jersey?
Organizers are hoping that efforts to pass paid-sick-leave ordinances at the local level will lend additional momentum to pass a state bill, especially now that Assembly leaders have announced they are planning to move sick-time legislation forward when the Legislature reconvenes in September. Petition drives in five New Jersey municipalities – Irvington, Montclair, Passaic, Paterson and Trenton – have been successful in putting sick-leave ordinances on the November ballot, meaning that citizens in those towns could enact local rules when they go to the polls. The petitions were filed in the communities on Aug. 4. A sixth community – East Orange – introduced its own sick-leave ordinance last week. If all six ordinances are adopted, it would mean that eight municipalities comprising 11% of the state’s population – including the state’s three largest cities – will mandate that businesses provide paid sick leave. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) announced his support last week for state legislation introduced by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) that would require companies to provide paid sick leave to employees. The bill, A-2354, would require companies with fewer than 10 employees to provide up to five days of paid sick leave and larger companies to provide up to six days of paid sick leave annually. Employees would accrue one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours they worked. Business groups oppose mandatory paid sick leave, saying it could drive potential employers away from towns that adopt the rules -- or from the state, if the Lampitt bill is approved. They also are especially concerned that the local ordinances will create a patchwork of regulations.

TRAINING CLASSES!!
-ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT NJGCA HEADQUARTERS-
66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081 (Union County)

NJGCA is pleased to offer the NJ Emission Technician Education Program, starting in August. It is the ETEP Certification Course, the entire program, sections 1-8.  This is everything you need to become a licensed Emission Repair Technician. Tests are given throughout the course and technicians that pass will receive a certificate stating that they successfully completed the New Jersey Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP). NJGCA has provided this program to the NJ Department of Transportation, UPS and NJGCA Members throughout New Jersey. Our pass rate in this class is 100%.

FOR INFO ABOUT THE 8-WEEK ENTIRE EMISSION TECHNICIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM (ETEP) CLASS -- SECTIONS 1 TO 8 -- TO BE OFFERED ON WEDNESDAYS DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, PLEASE CLICK HERE  .

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND.  CONTACT DEBBIE at 973-376-0066 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS.  THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!!

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

TMP Energy Solutions
Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it's difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an "accurate" analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available. 

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum KW demand is acquired. By pooling the member's usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group.

Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require12 months of your most recent utility bills.

There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #'s, meter #'s  service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs.  Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund. 

Contact GREG CANNON at 973-376-0066 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.