Thursday May 10, 2007 FEATURES FTC asks: Is diesel the fuel of the future? By 2008, all major automobile producers expect to have a large number of new diesel-powered cars for sale in the United States, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Manufacturers expect consumers to gravitate toward diesel because it offers greater mileage, and diesel-powered engines produce more torque and have greater acceleration than gasoline-powered engines, according to the FTC's "Gas Column," published May 2 on its Web site. (Full Story) Fledgling effort underway to create global biofuels market A global biofuels market is the eventual goal of a partnership that includes the United States and Brazil. Toward that end, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its counterpart in Brazil plan to hold their second workshop, June 26-29, at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C., according to an update published on the NIST Web site. The collaboration between the U.S. and Brazil received its official stamp of approval during President Bush's visit to Brazil last March, when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim signed a memorandum of understanding to advance cooperation in biofuels. (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 NPRA voices concern over Senate Committee's price-gouging language National Petrochemical & Refiners Association Executive Vice President Charles T. Drevna expressed deep concern over the decision of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation to attach so-called "price-gouging" legislation" to a bill addressing corporate average fuel economy standards during a mark-up May 8. (Full Story) Congressional hearing on 'hot fuel' and temperature compensation Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat running for president, will host a congressional subcommittee hearing June 7 on gasoline concerns, including so-called "hot fuel," and temperature compensation, according to a May 9 article by Elizabeth Douglass in The Los Angeles Times. (Full Story) OPW Fuel Management Systems training seminar in Greensboro, N.C. OPW Fuel Management Systems, Hodgkins, Ill., part of OPW Fueling Components, announced that it has scheduled its next product training seminar for June 19-22 in Greensboro, N.C. (Full Story) Senate Commerce Committee approves fuel economy bill The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on May 8 approved legislation calling for an increase in vehicle fuel efficiency. (Full Story) ABC attempts to discredit ethanol in '20/20' show on 'the ethanol myth' ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings said May 4, "I can only surmise that 20/20 desperately needs to gain ratings and attention because the program is resorting to spectacular hyperbole to discredit a renewable fuel that holds real promise for this nation's economy, environment, and energy security. (Full Story) More than a month after a fire, hobbled BP plant fuels gas price hikes The BP refinery in Whiting, Ind., one of the nation's largest, has been operating at less than full capacity since a fire on March 22. (Full Story) Petro Stopping Centers to raise money for USO Petro Stopping Centers announced that it is giving a dollar to the USO for every chicken fried steak dinner sold in May. (Full Story) In Wisconsin: Green Bay alderman wants to ban free brew at stores Beer-lovers may soon be enjoying free samples at stores around Wisconsin, but if Alderman Steven Deneys has his way, it won't be at Green Bay stores, according to an article by Paul Srubas in the Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers. (Full Story) Sheetz climbs into top five best places to work in Ohio Sheetz, Inc. said it has made the jump to number five on the list of Best Large Employers in Ohio, a ranking compiled by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting in Columbus. (Full Story) Murphy Oil announces acquisition of properties from Wal-Mart Murphy Oil Corp., El Dorado, Ark., announced May 3 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Murphy Oil USA, Inc., has entered into an agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries to purchase parcels of property which the company currently leases from Wal-Mart for its Murphy USA retail gasoline stations. (Full Story) Marsh owner separates Village Pantry division Marsh Supermarkets Inc.'s owner is breaking off the Village Pantry subsidiary to create a business unit separate from its grocery stores, The Indianapolis Business Journal reported May 4. Village Pantry, a 148-store convenience chain, and Marsh Supermarkets, a 105-store grocery chain, both will continue to be owned by Florida-based Sun Capital Partners, according to the Business Journal. (Full Story) ExxonMobil, employees, retirees give more than $33 million to education ExxonMobil on May 2 announced its donation of more than $33 million to 953 colleges and universities across the United States through the ExxonMobil Foundation's 2006 Educational Matching Gift Program. (Full Story) Plaid Pantry chooses Ultimate Technology POS system Ultimate Technology Corporation, a provider of open system point-of-service (POS) hardware solutions and services, announced that Plaid Pantry has selected the UltimaTouch 1800 Series POS Touch Workstation for deployment to its 100 convenience stores in Oregon and Washington State, according to a May 7 report in Retail Solutions Online. (Full Story) Giant Eagle Express opens; analysts call it 'preemptive' against c-stores The first Giant Eagle Express, measuring 14,000 square feet, opened May 4 in Harmarville, Pa., according to an article by Melissa Capone and Rick Stouffer in The Valley News Dispatch. (Full Story) Husky Energy to acquire Lima Refinery from Valero Energy Corporation Husky Energy Inc., Calgary, Alberta, announced May 2 that Husky has reached an agreement to acquire the refinery in Lima, Ohio from Valero Energy Corporation. (Full Story) Rev. Jesse Jackson to target oil companies on diversity Rev. Jesse Jackson on May 1 said his organization will target top energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips in a push to create more jobs for women and minorities in the industry, according to a Reuters report. (Full Story) TIO launches prepaid MasterCard at Exxon and Mobil locations TIO Networks Corp. and ExxonMobil, along with NetSpend Corporation on May 3 announced the launch of the TIO prepaid MasterCard at participating Exxon and Mobil convenience store locations across the United States. The card is issued by MetaBank. (Full Story) Illinois AG demands removal of 'Cocaine' drink from store shelves Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Eric E. Whitaker on May 2 demanded that all Illinois marketing and sales of the "Cocaine" energy drink immediately cease. (Full Story) Report: Diamond Shamrocks in Colorado Springs are running dry For the past week, Diamond Shamrock gas stations across Colorado Springs have felt the effects of a Valero refinery fire back in early February, according to a report that aired May 1 on FOX21 News. (Full Story) EIA: gasoline prices increase while diesel continues to fall Gasoline prices rose sharply for the week of April 30, 2007, increasing 10.2 cents to 297.1 cents per gallon, according to the May 2 edition of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) In Iowa: refinery troubles leave storage sites short of fuel Refinery snags left two Iowa storage facilities short of fuel over the weekend, according to a May 2 article by the Associated Press and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier. (Full Story) Senate committee green-lights bill to cut gasoline consumption A Senate committee moved ahead May 2 on legislation designed to replace one-quarter of the nation's gasoline with ethanol and set a goal of cutting gasoline consumption nearly in half by 2030, according to an Associated Press article by H. Josef Hebert. (Full Story) Western awaits FTC hearing on deal with Giant; reports record first quarter Western Refining, Inc. on May 3 reported net income of $62.6 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2007. For the same period in 2006, the Company had a net loss of $19.7 million, or $0.32 per diluted share. (Full Story) What to do about PCI compliance The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and W. Capra Consulting Group are offering guidance on how to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Veeder-Root ORVR HangingHardware System widely accepted in Texas Veeder-Root's On-Board Refueling Vapor Recovery Hanging Hardware System has obtained certification from the state of Texas for use with both Gilbarco VaporVac and Dresser Wayne WayneVac system dispensers. Veeder-Root's ORVR Hanging Hardware System is designed to detect ORVR vehicles and limit air ingestion that leads to vaporized product. Station owners can save thousands of dollars in vaporized product loss reductions with a simple hanging hardware swap. With the recent passing of the 2007 Texas ORVR compliance deadline, Texas petroleum retailers have widely accepted Veeder-Root's simple and cost-effective solution for compliance. Veeder-Root www.veeder.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS NYACS Trade Show and Convention The Oncenter Syracuse, N.Y. May 15-16 (518) 432-1400 www.nyacs.org Focus on Finance hosted by Meridian Associates, Inc. Renaissance Worthington Hotel Fort Worth, Texas May 16-18 (800) 728-9005 www.askmeridian.com   Winning Fuel Buying Strategies Hyatt Harborside Hotel Boston May 16-18 (866) 620-5940 opisnet.com/fuelbuying OMEGA WV Trade Show Stonewall Resort Roanoke, WV May 21-23 (304) 343-5500 www.omegawv.com   Vermont Fuel Dealers Association Spring 2007 Conference Top Notch Resort & Spa Stowe, Vt. May 23-24 (802) 485-7999 www.vermontfuel.com NACS Marketing Conference Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center Dallas June 5-7 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.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 Keith Reid, 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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