The Global Petroleum And Energy
Equipment Community
The saying “timing is everything” keeps flashing in my mind. As a newcomer to the industry in 1992, I was focused on taking over a business that could generate ample cash flow to service our debt, pay our expenses and throw off the additional funds needed to accomplish our goals for growth. We were a small company with good lines, established customers and talented people. Initially, it appeared we could survive on our own and make a good living by maintaining existing relationships and expanding our customer and vendor bases. New systems were put in place to make us more productive, and we got by fairly well for a while, until “timing” reared its head.
In 1992, work on the 1998 EPA UST regulations was ramping up, card readers in dispensers were initiated, and Stages I and II vapor recovery were on the way.
It didn't take long for me to realize we needed help. PEI became invaluable to our organization. In 1993, we had a large retail customer planning to install Stage II ahead of the federal mandate. We had no experience with the equipment required or how to install it. At about that time, PEI held a district seminar during which Coles Marsh summarized JCV's experience with Stage II in Maryland. The information was timely and extremely useful. During that presentation, I admired Coles' willingness to share knowledge that would eventually be beneficial to his competitors. Following the talk, I asked him to send me a copy of his slides, and he cheerfully obliged.
How fortunate I was to have attended that district meeting. My eyes were opened to a PEI community attribute that I have seen over and over again—an unselfish willingness to assist fellow members for the good of the industry. In the short run, pieces of business could be lost to those helped; but in the long run, everyone benefits, from the customer to the individual members and to the industry as a whole.
So what does all this have to do with timing? I feel that now, more than ever, the effects of what we do individually set in motion powerful forces far removed. The “Butterfly Effect” or “Chaos Theory” purports that even the fluttering of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the globe. The current worldwide economic challenges demonstrate how interconnected we are. A collapse in the mortgage market leads to international bank failures, leading to insurance companies floundering, affecting consumer markets and bringing down industries such as construction and automotive. These economic challenges are converging right now as I take on the presidential responsibilities of the Petroleum Equipment Institute. What timing!
Solving these problems is beyond my capabilities, but perhaps I can offer a proposal that will help us all navigate more successfully through the complications we are sure to face in 2009. Through PEI, I have been fortunate to develop a friendship with one of our speakers, Abe WalkingBear Sanchez. Abe signs all his e-mails with “Mitakuye Oyasin,” a Lakota Sioux term meaning “we are all related.” It reminds us that we are all connected, and together we can positively (or negatively) create our own future. The global petroleum and energy equipment community embraces this philosophy in countless ways.
Going forward, let's remember what has made us strong and continue the spirit of contribution and service to our organization. In tough times, it will be tempting to draw inward and concentrate on our individual needs. Resist that urge and keep reaching outward. |
