Wednesday January 17, 2007 FEATURES Study: Moist tobacco does better where tax is weight-based Moist smokeless tobacco volume is increasing faster in states employing a weight-based excise tax versus states that use an Ad Valorem tax, according to an analysis by Willard Bishop, a consulting firm in Barrington, Ill. Only nine states use a weight-based tax, Willard Bishop said Jan. 16 in releasing results of its analysis. (Full Story) Big push is on to produce E85, but is there a market to use it? The biofuel business is booming, with the building of production facilities in high gear. But some are now wondering whether U.S. motorists will be able to use all that will be produced. At the current construction pace, within the next few years the production capacity will close in on the limit of how much ethanol can be used as a 10-percent additive, called E10, in gasoline, The Des Moines Register reported. (Full Story) Sign up for a FREE subscription to NPN, the magazine that has been reporting news and trends in the petroleum and convenience store industry since 1909. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Get The Data That Drives The Petroleum & Convenience Industry Today! To order your print copy or CD version of the 2006 NPN MarketFacts edition, please click here NEWS ITEMS Saudi minister expects oil prices to rise Saudi Arabia's oil minister said Jan. 16 that he saw no need for OPEC to hold an emergency meeting about declining crude oil prices, The New York Times reported. Oil prices have decreased by about 16 percent since the beginning of the year, the newspaper noted. (Full Story) CHS posts $136.3 million net income for first quarter 2007 CHS Inc., an energy and grain-based foods company, said Jan. 11 that it reported earnings of $136.3 million for the first quarter of its 2007 fiscal year. (Full Story) BP faulted for safety practices leading to refinery explosion and 15 deaths The deaths of 15 workers resulted from cost-cutting and poor management by BP, investigators concluded in a report they released Jan. 16. (Full Story) Tidel Engineering adds six locations to its roster of offices abroad Tidel Engineering, L.P., Carrollton, Texas, a provider of cash management systems and robbery prevention products, announced on Jan. 15 the opening of an additional six offices for further expansion of its international business. In 2006, Tidel established service and support in over 120 countries. (Full Story) The Pantry completes deal for 16 Angler's stores in South Carolina The Pantry, Inc., Sanford, N.C., a convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., announced Jan. 16 that it has completed the acquisition of 16 Angler's Mini-Mart convenience stores in the Charleston, S.C., market. The stores generated revenues of approximately $73 million in 2005. (Full Story) Sheetz chooses Stampede Technologies to enhance bandwidth utilization Stampede Technologies, Inc., a provider of acceleration solutions for Web-enabled Enterprise Applications, announced Jan. 16 that Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa., a $3.4 billion chain of convenience stores with 329 stores in six states, has purchased the Stampede Application Acceleration Series, dBNews Cleveland, a business publication, reported. (Full Story) Circle K buys six convenience stores in Tucson Circle K Stores Inc. has paid more than $7.8 million for six convenience stores here already operating under the "K" brand, The Arizona Star reported Jan. 16. (Full Story) Attorney General in Colorado: state's fuel pricing law should be changed Colorado's attorney general and two state legislators say a state law prohibiting the sale of gasoline and other motor fuel below what it costs to buy the fuel is out of touch with modern economics and should be changed, The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper in Grand Junction, Colo., reported Jan. 15. (Full Story) In Mississippi: gas station owner jailed, fined for mixing octanes A gas station owner in Ridgeland, Miss., has admitted to mixing high-octane fuel with lower-octane fuel and selling it to customers, WLBT-TV reported Jan. 11. (Full Story) Ethanol industry is gearing up in Louisiana Advocates of the law requiring the sale of ethanol-laced gasoline rejected the economic incentives that most states employ. (Full Story) New Edge Networks names Linda Beck as president New Edge Networks on Jan. 9 announced that it had named Linda Beck, a veteran executive with deep operations and IT experience, as president of the business network company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthLink Inc. The appointment is effective immediately. (Full Story) Earth Biofuels launches BioWillie marketing program Earth Biofuels, Inc., Dallas, the exclusive distributor of Willie Nelson's brand of biodiesel - BioWillie - announced Jan. 9 a marketing program to increase the availability of its biodiesel brand. Earth Biofuels will now offer the use of the brand to biodiesel retail fuel providers outside the Earth Biofuels fuel distribution network. (Full Story) Mark VII acquires Tennessee distributor Mark VII Equipment Inc., Arvada, Colo., the U.S. subsidiary of WashTec AG of Germany, has acquired its long-time distributor Mid-Tenn Mark VII, Inc. of Lebanon, Tenn., according to a Jan. 9 press release. (Full Story) Triton, Ventus partner for wireless ATM connectivity Triton Systems, Long Beach, Miss., has signed a deal with Ventus Networks to bring a comprehensive, managed wireless network infrastructure to the U.S. ATM market, according to ATM MarketPlace. (Full Story) U.S. Sustainable Energy Corp. says its biofuel can replace diesel U.S. Sustainable Energy Corp., Natchez, Miss., on Jan. 11 announced availability of a new organic-based biofuel that it said is 100% renewable, environmentally friendly, and able to serve as a permanent replacement to diesel fuel. (Full Story) Smoker Friendly International announces 11th Annual Trade Show Smoker Friendly International (SFI) announced that it will hold its 11th Annual Trade Show and Conference Aug. 27-29 at the Millennium Harvest House in Boulder, Colo. (Full Story) AAA introduces online gas station locator The American Automobile Association (AAA) is encouraging motorists to log on to find gas stations along their route and avoid becoming among the more than 2.5 million people who will need emergency fuel delivery this year. (Full Story) EIA: Gasoline and diesel prices continue to decrease The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline for January 8, 2007, decreased 2.8 cents to 230.6 cents per gallon, according to the Jan. 10 issue of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Gasoline prices are now 2.1 cents per gallon lower than at this time last year, according to "This Week." (Full Story) Iowa trucker patents fuel saver, and cites environmental benefit too Larry Snyder, a longtime fuel transport driver based in Waukee, Iowa, says that he has invented a device called "Fuel Rescue" to be used when measuring fuel in underground storage tanks, according to a press release Snyder issued Jan. 9. (Full Story) Governors' group calls for expansion of Renewable Fuels Standard The 37 gubernatorial members of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition on Jan. 10 released a report, "Ethanol from Biomass: How to Get to a Biofuels Future," which asks President Bush and members of Congress to adopt four recommendations: (Full Story) As Democrats target 'Big Oil,' analysts say result could cost consumers Democratic leaders in Congress aim to roll back "subsidies" to oil companies in favor of investing in renewable energy and conservation, but conservative analysts say that approach would likely hurt consumers at the gas pump, Cybercast News Service reported Jan. 8. (Full Story) Motiva sells 47 Shell sites to Sam's Real Estate Holdings of Georgia Motiva Enterprises LLC, the company that markets the Shell brand in the eastern United States, has sold its interest in 47 sites to Sam's Real Estate Holdings of Georgia, LLC (Sam's Holdings), a Georgia-based wholesaler, according to an announcement by Shell Oil Products US. Sam's Holdings will continue to fly the yellow Shell flag over these sites located in the greater Atlanta metropolitan and northern Georgia areas. (Full Story) Valero named one of the best companies to work for Valero Energy Corp. once again has been recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the best companies to work for in the United States. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Sour Power® introduces Sour Power Rollin' Rockers™! Dorval Trading Co., Ltd. extended the fun of its Sour Power® candy with their newest item, Sour Power Rollin' Rockers™, which are rolled up candy belts that come in two different flavors. One flavor is Blue Raspberry, and the other is Quattro™, a four-colored, four-flavored peelable candy belt containing Strawberry, Green Apple, Tutti Frutti, and Blue Raspberry flavors. Both Sour Power Rollin' Rockers™ flavors will be sold in displayable 24 ct. boxes with 12 boxes per case, and the new candy will be priced with the current Sour Power® Straw Packages at around 49 cents. Dorval Trading Co., Ltd. www.dorvaltrading.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS SIGMA 2007 Executive Leadership Conference Silvertree Hotel Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. February 11 - 14 (703 )709-7000 www.sigma.org PACE - Petroleum and Convenience-Store Exposition of Mid-America Overland Park Convention Center Overland Park, Ks. February 16-17 (573) 635-7117 www.mpca.org   WPMA Convention & Convenience Store Expo The Mirage Convention Center Las Vegas February 20-22 (801) 263-9762 www.wpma.com AWMA REAL DEAL EXPO Las Vegas Hilton Las Vegas February 21-23 (703) 208-3358 www.realdealexpo.com   PetrolWorld Africa Middle East Business Forum 2007 February 24-27 Malelane Resort, Kruger Park, South Africa www.petrolworld.com NASM Convention & Exposition World Golf Village and Renaissance Resort St. Augustine, Fla. March 5-8 (703) 922-9784 www.nasmonline.com   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2007 NPN Group | All Rights Reserved For more information on NPN MarketPulse, contact: Gary Bevers, group publisher M2MEDIA360 Retail Distribution Group Ph: 832-444-7675 Fax: 800-430-3446 Chris Traczek, editor-in-chief M2MEDIA360 NPN Group Ph: 630-739-0280 Fax: 630-739-0321 This newsletter is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of M2MEDIA360.

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