Thursday November 30, 2006 FEATURES On the boards: more refinery expansions More new proposals for refinery expansions are being put forward, and they face prospects that vary depending on the planning and environmental authorities overseeing the process. Motiva Enterprises said this month that it is considering expanding its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. The refinery now produces 325,000 barrels per day; with the proposed expansion it would have throughput of 600,000 b/d, making it one of the largest refineries in the United States, according to a Reuters report. (Full Story) Size matters Proposals for bigger-than-average convenience stores are encountering public opposition in New Jersey and Iowa. In New Jersey, Wawa wanted to build a new 6,000-square-foot c-store with a 12-bay garage in the township of Montgomery, but has run into stiff opposition; and in Des Moines, Iowa, an influential residents' association has formed a "Convenience Store Committee" with the aim of revising approval procedures for bigger c-stores. (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 In Indiana: Marsh land changes hands Marsh customers will see no changes to the northside Marion, Ind., store, although the property was sold to a Canadian company Nov. 22, an official said. (Full Story) ACNielsen and NACS to provide analysis of industry sales data ACNielsen, Schaumburg, Ill., and NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores), Alexandria, Va., on Nov. 29 announced a new long-term strategic alliance designed to provide comprehensive analysis of sales data in the half-trillion dollar U.S. convenience and petroleum marketing industry, and in some other international regions. (Full Story) Debitman renamed Tempo; announces Fiserv gateway pact Debitman Card on Nov. 28 announced its new name of Tempo Payments, Inc., as the company continues providing retailers with branded debit card programs designed to foster consumer loyalty and drive down the cost of card payments. (Full Story) Tesco teams with two British suppliers in U.S. venture Tesco, the U.K. retailer, is bringing two of its favored British food suppliers along on the planned venture into the United States market, according to a report in the Financial Times. (Full Story) Mark VII has a new chief executive: Murray Kennedy Mark VII Equipment Inc., Arvada, Colo., the U.S. subsidiary of WashTec AG of Germany, a supplier of vehicle cleaning systems worldwide, on Nov. 29 announced the hiring of Murray Kennedy as its president and chief executive officer. He replaces Christian Bernert, who will become CFO of WashTec AG effective Jan. 1, 2007. (Full Story) Group calls for boycott of Citgo gas sold at Navy Exchanges An advocacy group says sailors should not buy Citgo gasoline at Navy Exchanges, Navy Times reported Nov. 27. Citgo Corp.'s profits - at least $1.5 billion since 2003, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission - are paid to the Venezuelan government, the group said in a statement. (Full Story) Altria Group won't have to pay $10 billion in 'lights' case The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive a $10.1 billion award against Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris USA, Bloomberg reported Nov. 27. The court rejected an appeal from smokers who said they were misled about the health risks of ``light'' cigarettes, the news service reported. (Full Story) Veeder-Root announces TLS Continuous STP Run Monitor Veeder-Root recently announced its new TLS Continuous STP Run Monitor, designed to ensure that existing product line and tank leak detection does not become compromised due to interference from continuously running STPs, said Cal Tanck, Global Platform Manager for ATG (Automatic Tank Gauge) Products for Veeder-Root. (Full Story) In upstate New York: Lukoil rebrands gas stations Lukoil, the Russian oil company, is putting its name on gas stations in the Albany, N.Y., market. The area is often referred to as the Capital Region because Albany is the state capital. (Full Story) The Pantry to acquire 16 Angler's stores in South Carolina The Pantry, Inc., a convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., announced Nov. 28 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 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) In Massachusetts: Linear Retail buys 15 White Hen convenience stores Linear Retail Properties, a real-estate company in Burlington, Mass., has purchased 15 White Hen Pantry convenience stores in the state, including one each in Lowell and Pepperell, for $12.3 million, The Lowell Sun reported Nov. 24. (Full Story) In California: Gas dealers battle Costco Costco seeks to bring a one-stop shopping experience to its existing warehouse store at Middlefield Road, Redwood City, Calif., where a project would raze the building, construct a bigger one and install a 16-pump fueling center across the lot, reported The San Mateo County Times. (Full Story) Obituary: Sidney Kosasa, founder of the ABC Stores in Hawaii Sidney Kosasa, the founder of the ABC Stores convenience chain, which catered to tourists, died Nov. 24 in his sleep, the company said. He was 86. (Full Story) Unit restarts at Conoco refinery in Sweeny, Texas ConocoPhillips was restarting unit 26.1 at its 247,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Sweeny, Texas, on Nov. 26, according to notices filed with the state pollution regulation agency, Reuters reported. (Full Story) EIA: retail gasoline and diesel prices rise again The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline rose 0.7 cent to 223.9 cents per gallon as of Nov. 20, 3.8 cents per gallon higher than at this time last year, according to the Nov. 22 edition of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) Couche-Tard profit jumps 35%; more acquisitions expected Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. will continue its policy of strategic acquisitions and increase its dividend after second-quarter profit jumped 35 per cent to US$74.7 million after a major expansion in the United States, the Canadian Press news service reported Nov. 21. (Full Story) BMW 5 Series sedans suffer suspension damage in car washes The International Carwash Association said Nov. 21 that it has been notified of instances of damage occurring to the suspensions of 2006 and 2007 5 Series all-wheel drive BMW sedans. (Full Story) AAA: Gas prices steady as holiday travel begins For holiday travelers, gasoline prices will remain fairly steady despite dwindling stockpiles and reports of more cutbacks in crude oil production, according to consumeraffairs.com. (Full Story) Structural Concepts wins 2006 CEN Innovation Award Structural Concepts, a designer and manufacturer of food and floral display cases for the supermarket, foodservice and convenience store markets, said Nov. 21 that it has won the 2006 Chief Executive Network (CEN) Innovation Award for Best Sustained Product Innovation. (Full Story) Family Express expands E85 throughout northwest Indiana Family Express Corporation is unveiling plans to bring E85 to some 20 communities throughout Northwest and North Central Indiana, the company announced Nov. 21. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK E6-MU makes its mark Marking a revolution in fresh, fast espresso technology, Schaerer USA Corporation's E6-MU is the only self-service espresso/cappuccino machine that requires no cleaning of the milk delivery system. With patented gravity-fed milk, its foamer head and milk hose are designed for daily disposal. Made up of the E6 (espresso unit) and MU (milk unit), all milk steaming and frothing is done automatically and dispenses directly into the cup at the push of a button. Using fresh milk and whole beans, the E6-MU offers the ability to serve all the beverages typically found on a cafe menu without sacrificing quality. Schaerer USA Corporation www.schaererusa.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS Focus on Acquisitions DFW Sheraton Grand Hotel Dallas December 5 (800) 728-9005 www.askmeridian.com Focus on Credit DFW Sheraton Grand Hotel Dallas December 6-7 (800) 728-9005 www.askmeridian.com   Focus on Practical Technology DFW Sheraton Grand Hotel Dallas December 6-7 (800) 728-9005 www.askmeridian.com NACS Introduction to Category Management Seminar: Turning Plans into Action The Westin Indianapolis Indianapolis January 16-17 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.com   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 ParkConvention Center Overland Park, Ks. February 16-17 (573) 635-7117 www.mpca.org   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2006 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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