July 18, 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 COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! 

FALLING PRICES AND THE MARKETPLACE
OTR IN YOUR MAILBOX - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
NJGCA DINER TOUR 2014: COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU
NJGCA EMISSIONS INSPECTION TRAINING CLASS - JULY 30, 2014

I'd like to start by saying thanks to everyone who has provided positive feedback about the past couple of Road Warriors.  Even though Sal's back this week, you're still stuck with me!  However, Sal wouldn't let this Road Warrior go out without including an update on what's been happening in the marketplace recently. 
 
What we've seen these past two weeks is an approximately 15-cent drop in wholesale prices. In the beginning of the summer, Sal wrote that the rise in prices which we experienced were contrary to what he had anticipated for the market. The rise in prices was attributed to the uncertainty in Iraq. However, now that the uncertainty has subsided, the market is beginning to do exactly what we expected it to do in early June. The marketplace dynamic that we are currently experiencing was delayed by about a month and half, but prices are finally starting to drop. Sal predicts continued decreases in wholesale prices over the next few weeks.
 
Now, I have a few more quick announcements.
 
1. Look for the OTR in your mailboxes.  Everyone should have received this quarterly newsletter, which is full of important information for all members. NJGCA staff, NJGCA Member Benefit Partners, NJGCA Members, and other contributors all work hard to write articles that are relevant to your businesses.  We hope you will take 10 minutes over the weekend to read through the information. Please call our office at 973-37-0066 if you see anything in the OTR which you would like to discuss.  We look forward to your feedback.
 
2.  One of the most important things in the OTR was the announcement of NJGCA's 2014 Diner Tour!  This is YOUR opportunity to come to NJGCA and tell us what's on your mind.  Of course, Sal will be there to provide a BRIEF (hopefully) update on what's going on at NJGCA, but we wanted to provide a forum for you to voice your questions or concerns.  This is also a great opportunity to chat informally with your fellow small business owners about how they deal with certain issues. These breakfasts are free for NJGCA members, and any guests that you bring, who are fellow business owners in the industry.  NJGCA's Member Benefit Partners have generously offered to sponsor these events.  The first breakfast is Tuesday, July 22 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM in Bridgewater.  To access more details about this event, and to see the schedule of all other events, please click here.
 
3. NJGCA's Emissions Inspector Training Class will be on Wednesday, July 30th at NJGCA Headquarters. To be licensed as a Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspector, you must complete this course and pass a “Written Exam” given by the State of New Jersey. NJGCA offers this training in a ONE DAY State approved training program that will provide an understanding of inspection related issues including EPA Regulations, Safety, Diesel, Customer Service and the New Jersey State Specific Curriculum. This specially tailored NJGCA course fulfills all requirements. For more information, click here!

4. Finally, please take a moment for NJGCA's Crime Research Survey. I will provide the link again for your convenience.  After many weeks of talking about this, you all should know why this research project is important, and why your participation is critical.  Please click this link for the survey.

Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Jacy Lance
Communications Director

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

Long Established Towing Business For Sale!

Numerous contracts in place for new owner to take over!

• Dealerships, Municipalities, Road Service Clubs as well as State of NJ, State Police and Ocean County.
• Medium and Heavy Duty relationships as well.

Contact Greg at NJGCA (973-376-0066) for more information!

If you'd like to list your business for sale, publish a location you're selling, or are seeking a business partner for your establishment, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066! 

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

07/17/2014:
New Jersey’s unemployment rate continues to shrink
New Jersey added 9,600 private sector jobs in June, helping to shrink the state’s unemployment rate to 6.6%, the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development said this week. The June employment report, based on new and revised data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed a fourth straight month of employment increases in the state, the department said in a news release. That brings total private sector job gains for 2014 to 20,100 statewide. “This is a very encouraging report,” Charles Steindel, chief economist for the State Department of the Treasury, said in the release. “New Jersey now has the lowest number of unemployed since late 2008, along with the highest number of people reporting they are employed since then.” The unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage point in June, from May’s 6.8 percent.  Meanwhile, May’s employment data was revised upward, giving the state a total gain of 2,900 private-sector jobs rather than the loss initially estimated.

07/16/2014:
Submit Comments on the FDA Deeming Regulations
As of this week, 54,233 individual comments have been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration on the proposed tobacco deeming regs by retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, adult tobacco consumers, health organizations, anti-tobacco advocates and others. Submitting comments to the FDA on the deeming regulations is one of the most important efforts that every segment of the tobacco industry can do to inform the agency about the impact of the proposed tobacco restrictions on cigars, pipe tobacco, e-cigs, hookah tobacco, nicotine gels, and dissolvables. With just over 3 weeks left to submit comments by the FDA’s submission deadline of August 8, 2014, now is the time for tobacco retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to draft and submit comments to the FDA. Below are links to NATO’s step-by-step instructions on how to file comments and suggested comments. Click on the link above to read the entire article and learn how to simplify the process of submitting comments to the FDA.

 
07/16/2014:
How will the No. 1 tobacco player respond to the Reynolds-Lorillard deal?
Pending federal approval, the recently announced merger between Reynolds American and Lorillard creates a dramatically new dynamic in the tobacco space. By adding Lorillard’s Newport line, which commands a 13% share of the U.S. market, Reynolds American (RAI) will represent 35% to 40% of the total cigarette market. At the same time, Imperial Tobacco, which is slated to pick up several of Reynolds’ second-tier brands, including Winston and Kool, plus Lorillard’s coveted No. 1 e-cig, blu, springs to the third largest tobacco player in the country, with an impressive cigarette/cigar/e-cig platform. The question is obvious: How will Altria respond? Altria, which holds roughly 50% U.S. market share lead by its super-power Marlboro line, declined to comment on the Reynolds-Lorillard merger and its implications to the Richmond, Va.-based company’s strategies. Will C-Stores Benefit? Analysts suggest any hit to Altria will be modest, if at all.  While Reynolds becomes a stronger No. 2 and Imperial will boast a solid cross-tobacco platform, the elimination of Lorillard as the dominant menthol player leaves just two players controlling more than 85% of the U.S. cigarette market.  Such dominance by two manufacturers could result in scaled-back promotions and marketing incentives.
 
07/15/2014:
Reynolds Takes Lorillard in $24.7B Deal
It's official. After months of speculation, Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) is acquiring Lorillard Inc. in a transaction valued at $27.4 billion. The announcement comes several days after the No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. tobacco giants confirmed they were in talks to merge. Under the terms of the transaction, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Lorillard shareholders will receive, for each Lorillard share, $50.50 in cash and 0.2909 of a share in RAI stock at closing, representing $68.88 per share based on RAI's closing share price on July 14. This represents a premium of 40.4% to the stock price on Feb. 28, the last trading day prior to initial media speculation around a possible transaction, and a premium of 12.6% to the stock price on July 2, prior to more recent news reports, according to release on the transaction. Following the transaction, RAI is projected to have more than $11 billion in revenues and approximately $5 billion in operating income, and its operating companies will have growth pillars across key industry categories: Newport, Camel, Pall Mall and Natural American Spirit in combustible cigarettes; Grizzly in smokeless tobacco; and VUSE in the growing e-cig market. 

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

In order to be licensed as a Motor Vehicle Emission Inspector, you must complete this course and pass a "Written Exam" given by the State of New Jersey. NJGCA offers this training in a ONE DAY State approved training program that will provide an understanding of inspection related issues including EPA Regulations, Safety, Diesel, Customer Service and the New Jersey State Specific Curriculum. This specially tailored NJGCA course fulfills all requirements.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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.