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President Blair Shwedo Up Close
Blair Shwedo is president of SouthEastern Petroleum Systems in Charlotte, North Carolina. On January 1, he became the 59th president of the Petroleum Equipment Institute and will lead the association through 2009. I’m a car guy. I’ve loved cars since I was a kid. I own a sports car that I take to the track, and it can really zip. Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I like business books, spiritual books and action stories. Right now, I’m in the middle of “One Bullet Away” by Nathaniel Fick. It’s the account of a marine recon officer’s experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. I can’t put it down! Deleting junk e-mails is my biggest waster of time. It drives me crazy. I think I need to get a better spam filter. The determination of the motoring public entertains me. Recently we were working on a complete dispenser changeout at a c-store. After the techs removed the old dispensers from an island and set them off to the side, a young lady pulled up to a disconnected dispenser, got out of her car, ignored the yellow tape, inserted her credit card and reached for the nozzle. She even moved the barricade in front of the pump! There is no magical source for top service techs. The best we can do is establish an excellent service program so that talented technicians hear about our company and seek us out. Existing techs always seem to have friends who are qualified. When hiring, I look for strong character. Experience is important, but candidates with proven work ethic, good moral conviction and a positive attitude work best. I’m not opposed to hiring outside the industry, because we can train newcomers and get them up to speed fairly quickly. I learned the value of industry organizations when I was very young. My dad was a car dealer, and he used to take me to the Automobile Dealers Association meetings, where I saw the importance of networking and education. I think a good association leads to the progress of the entire industry. This year will present a real challenge in helping our customers sort through the latest wave of new programs impacting their businesses. Without a thorough understanding of the issues, it will be difficult to create solutions. 2009 is all about updating our knowledge base. Companies should join PEI because membership offers something to offer everyone. From individuals to large corporations, the information and industry contacts are priceless. When it comes to the value of PEI membership, the old phrase “bang for your buck” sums it up nicely. PEI provides an invaluable industry resource for a nominal fee. I met my wife Laura at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She doesn’t work at SouthEastern, but she’s what I call a “dedicated volunteer.” Our son Blair Jr., 24, is a corporate bond trader for Wachovia, and our daughter Anne, 21, is majoring in fashion design at Meredith College in Raleigh. People would be surprised to know that chick flicks make me cry. My wife makes me watch them! |
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