Whitehead Oil Company has chosen leading global provider of enterprise-class software solutions to the convenience retail and wholesale fuel industries, PDI as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software provider, in addition to taking advantage of PDI’s hosting and price book services.

Mark Whitehead, president of Whitehead Oil said, “One of the biggest contributing factors in our selection of PDI was the ability for us to monitor and maintain all aspects of our business—from wholesale fuel to warehouse to retail store locations—in one system. We also wanted to increase productivity through automation, have access to easy, real-time reporting, improve inventory management, and gain better control of our product costs through the price book services offering.”

“Much like PDI, Whitehead Oil has a long history of anticipating the changing needs of its customers and delivering the products and services they want,” said Drew Mize, senior vice president and general manager, global retail for PDI. “Our goal is to help forward-thinking companies like Whitehead Oil by providing the solutions and data insights they need to make the best decisions for their business, so they can continue providing exceptional customer experiences.” PWKD11092017

 Tokheim, part of Dover Fueling Solutions (“DFS”), one of the largest suppliers of fuel retailing solutions, is pleased to announce that their manufacturing facility based in Dundee, Scotland UK, has been awarded the ISO (International Organisation for Standardization)9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) standard.

The ISO 9001:2015 QMS standard is published by the International Organisation for Standardization, the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards.

The manufacturing facility in Dundee is the largest DFS facility in Europe, Middle East and Africa, hosting the design, engineering and production of Tokheim’s fuel dispensers, systems and solutions business in addition to support functions including Customer Service, Supply Chain and Logistics.

The ISO 9001:2015 requires a flexible management framework to be installed across the facility, a standard that the Dundee Manufacturing Facility complies with because of efficient operational process and improved employee engagement.

Jan Liebregts, Director Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) and Quality for DFS said, “Where the 2008 standard mostly focused on the needs of the customer, the 2015 standard expands its scope to include the suppliers, personnel, shareholders, legislation and community. By considering the needs and concerns of all relevant parties and enforcing the management of opportunities and risks, the QMS becomes better aligned with the context of the company and a tool to more successfully realize the strategies. This creates higher emphasis on tracking the process-performances and push for continuous improvements.”

A local project team was created at the Dundee Manufacturing Facility to develop robust procedures and processes to support performance and complete the transition to the 2015 standard of our QMS. PWKD11092017

Wayne Fueling Systems has launched initiatives to aid fuel service station owners and operators in Hurricane Harvey-affected areas of Texas and Louisiana.

Efforts began on September 5th, when Wayne deployed staff to Houston, Texas, with genuine Wayne parts to assist in the service efforts of the local Wayne Authorized Service Organizations. The plan is to accelerate delivery of parts to those fuel service stations in need, without having to wait for commercial shipping and delivery services, which are severely back-logged because of the storm. Wayne staff members will remain in the Houston area for the foreseeable future and be on-call to deliver necessary parts and support where and when needed.

Wayne has also recently announced a “Texans Helping Texans” new dispenser replacement program to help those fuel service stations whose dispensers were damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Harvey. Wayne has guaranteed a two-week delivery along with special pricing and low financing options for this program.

“As a company headquartered in Texas, we feel a special responsibility to do as much as we can to assist in the Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts,” said David Crouse, President of DFS. “This storm has had a huge impact on our community, our partners and our customers. These initiatives aim to expedite the recovery of infrastructure in affected areas so citizens can regain a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible. Wayne Fueling Systems is committed to helping our Texas neighbors in need during this difficult time.” PWKD13092017

The Oasis Light Duty NGV1 Transit Nozzle is set to create a stir in the CNG industry, with improved ergonomics and redesigned operating functions for public station use, having the highest flow rate out of any other NGV1 fill valve configuration on the market, in addition to having the longest life cycle.

Characteristics include: NGV1 Nozzle designed to ANSI / CGA NGV1 standards; 90 Degree Fill Valve body design with NGV1 P30 / P36 Nozzle; Extended cycle testing to ensure product longevity; Fill Valve compatible with other NGV1 nozzles; Female 9/16 - 18 SAE inlet connection. PWKD15092017

In order to lower cost of ownership and improve uptime, cloud connectivity can be used to gather insights on each aspect of the fuel-related portion of the business, bringing significant capability to its Insite360 platform.

Mark Williams, Vice President of Marketing, said "Because the Insite360 solution has been successful in monitoring underground tanks through FuelQuest and in-store activity through Passport, it only made sense to provide c-store owners the power to monitor their forecourts as well. We understand that in order to make better business decisions, retailers need to have more control and visibility to their equipment. That is why we have extended the cloud-based platform to Encore dispensers. We see many retailers electing to take advantage of these remote management capabilities as they upgrade for EMVTM, leveraging the high-speed connectivity." PWKD18092017

The extension of the Insite360 cloud services platform has been concluded by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, to include its countertop merchandising system – Impulse. In combination with Insite360’s cloud connectivity, the associated interface allows c-store owners to easily develop, schedule, manage and analyze promotional and interactive content at any site or group of sites, remotely.

Mike Ross, General Manager of New Distributing Company said, "Having full access to my Impulse has been an enjoyable experience. The enhanced navigation and easy-to-use features such as reporting, surveys, and blacklisting have been greatly beneficial in understanding more about my upselling tactics and what my customers prefer.”

"Impulse makes predicting what customers want easier because the findings are data driven. Our Impulse merchandising solution is a key asset for retailers to gain insight on what customers enjoy for the best upselling strategies, and studies have conservatively shown a five percent increase in sales," said Mark Williams, Vice President of Marketing at Gilbarco.

Using sophisticated, behind-the-scenes technology, Impulse is a basket-based, suggestive selling solution, displaying relevant and colorful offers, games, and surveys to the customer before, during, and after check out. Complemented by its analytics the promotional power of Impulse is accessed on the Impulse dashboard.

Survey development and data compilation help c-store owners improve customer experience, driving greater loyalty. PWKD20092017

Durapipe UK is expanding the export operation of its specialist fuel conveyance pipework system, PLX, with the appointment of a new strategic partner in China.

The manufacturer has formed a new partnership with Veeder-Root China, one of the world’s largest suppliers of petroleum equipment and services, which will see it become the sole route of PLX across China.

From its three facilities in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Veeder-Root China is the leading provider of petroleum products to forecourt projects across the region. While Veeder-Root is known for supplying ATG (automatic fuel tank gauge system), STPs (submersible turbine pumps) and Vapour recovery Stage II systems, it did not have access to a fuel pipe system and so the introduction of PLX to its range will enable it to offer a wider product offering to its forecourt customers.

Veeder-Root’s strong reputation across China will open up new opportunities for PLX, increasing the number of forecourt projects the product is specified for and growing its market share across China.

Commenting on the new partnership, David Naylor, PLX Brand Manager for Durapipe said: “While we currently have a strong presence in China, we recognise the potential for further growth. Veeder-Root is synonymous with supplying high quality products and our new partnership will enable us to strengthen the PLX brand and increase the volume of forecourt projects we undertake across the region.”

Alex Tai, Senior Product Manager at Veeder-Root, added: “The addition of Durapipe PLX to our range ensures we can offer a complete one-stop-shop solution for forecourt installations, offering an attractive proposition to specifiers, consultants and oil companies.”

Durapipe PLX is a below ground pipework product range specifically developed to fulfil the application needs of the forecourt market. The PLX range consists of both single wall and dual contained pipe and fittings and is purpose-designed for the safe transfer of liquid fuels and their vapours. Providing exceptional resistance to rapid crack propagation and long term stress cracking, PLX comprises a protective liner, which increases permeation resistance against many types of fuel blends ensuring there is no permeation of fuel through the pipe wall into the environment.

A leading manufacturer of plastic pipework solutions, Durapipe UK has seen its systems successfully installed for building services and industrial applications in projects worldwide for 60 years.

Durapipe UK is a proud member of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Plastic Pipes Group (PPG), the leading trade association representing manufacturers and material suppliers of plastic piping systems in the UK.

PPG Member companies have a responsibility to the industry to ensure products manufactured meet the needs of the application they are intended for, in addition PPG members fully support compliance with standards so installers and end users can assume BPF membership is a sign of quality assurance and compliance with these standards. PWKD20092017

Dover Fueling Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeroen de Gruijter to the role of Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Reporting directly to David Crouse, the President of DFS, de Gruijter will be based in the DFS manufacturing center in Dundee, Scotland.

This appointment comes at a time when DFS is gaining momentum in the industry, uniting legendary brands such as Tokheim, Wayne Fueling Systems, Fairbanks, ProGauge and OPW FMS, which were recently brought together to create the DFS business in December 2016.

A Mechanical Engineer, de Gruijter joins DFS from Xylem, a water equipment manufacturer, where he served as Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. He brings to the position strong experience in driving commercial success and P&L management. De Gruijter will be responsible for managing key regions across the EMEA for DFS and shaping the strategic commercial vision.

“Dover Fueling Solutions is comprised of many of the leading brands in the fuel retail market, and our goal is to build upon and leverage that strong position,” noted de Gruijter.  “We will continue to operate the DFS brands as ‘business as usual’ while aligning the organization’s efforts and resources to ensure that we enhance business performance and better serve our customers.”

Crouse said, “Jeroen’s experience in implementing market strategy and his knowledge of the business landscape within the EMEA region will be vital as DFS continues to work to deliver to customers worldwide a greater range of choices by providing a combined product portfolio that represents the industry’s only truly global end-to-end fueling solutions and world-class support.” PWKD22092017

The extension of the Insite360 cloud services platform has been concluded by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, to include its countertop merchandising system – Impulse. In combination with Insite360’s cloud connectivity, the associated interface allows c-store owners to easily develop, schedule, manage and analyze promotional and interactive content at any site or group of sites, remotely.

Mike Ross, General Manager of New Distributing Company said, "Having full access to my Impulse has been an enjoyable experience. The enhanced navigation and easy-to-use features such as reporting, surveys, and blacklisting have been greatly beneficial in understanding more about my upselling tactics and what my customers prefer.”

"Impulse makes predicting what customers want easier because the findings are data driven. Our Impulse merchandising solution is a key asset for retailers to gain insight on what customers enjoy for the best upselling strategies, and studies have conservatively shown a five percent increase in sales," said Mark Williams, Vice President of Marketing at Gilbarco.

Using sophisticated, behind-the-scenes technology, Impulse is a basket-based, suggestive selling solution, displaying relevant and colorful offers, games, and surveys to the customer before, during, and after check out. Complemented by its analytics the promotional power of Impulse is accessed on the Impulse dashboard.

Survey development and data compilation help c-store owners improve customer experience, driving greater loyalty. PWKD20092017

The newest mobile application for fleet managers, EFS CarrierControl has been launched by EFS – a WEX Company, bringing enhanced functionality and usability to fleet managers.

Manager of Mobile Application Development for EFS, Stacy Brothers said, “EFS continues to focus on using data and technology to bring real-working solutions to our customers that enhance efficiencies, lower costs and mitigate risk. Providing our customers the ability to leverage the robust functionality of our payment platforms via a mobile device allows them to be more efficient in managing their fleets while on the go.”

Fleet managers are allowed secure access with the help of the EFS CarrierControl to perform critical functions in real time via their mobile device such as authorizing MoneyCodes for check cashing or payments, tracking MoneyCode transactions, loading cash to cards, and performing real-time overrides if an employee or contractor needs immediate access to additional company funds. PWKD21092017

Leading fuel card provider and part of Radius Payment Solutions, UK Fuels, has extended its UK Fuels network to over 2,250 UK fuel service stations, making UK Fuels the largest independent network in the UK.

To customers minimize inefficient route deviation and to prevent unnecessary fuel expenditure, forms part of the strategy of expansion of UK Fuels’ network. Route deviation and fuel usage can be reduced when the network is viewed in e-route, its online station locator.

“Our customers are at the heart of our network expansion. We want to provide the best service possible and this means providing a variety of products across what is now the largest independent network of fuel stations in the UK,” said Bill Holmes, CEO at UK Fuels. “We remain committed to growing operations in the UK and developing products and services that work together and help us provide the best offering for our customers.” Source: Fleet Point PWKD18092017

Wholly owned subsidiary of InComm, On-Line Strategies Services, LLC (InComm OLS), has declared an incorporation with National Bankcard Services (NBS) to provide specialized fuel gift card processing at participating fuel retailers.

Terry Richards, President, InComm OLS, said "We are very excited to be working with NBS to provide a channel for our mutual customers to take advantage of a new InComm product offering. Our integration enables us to provide product acceptance convenience that meets the needs of both the retailer and the consumer."

InComm OLS and NBS partnered to develop a new payment processing integration, to enable retailers to redeem fuel gift cards directly at the pump. Due to the preauthorization needed to allow a consumer to pick up the pump and begin fueling, transactions at the pump differ from point-of-sale transactions, which required InComm OLS and NBS to create specific programing through InComm's switch technology that would ensure the consumer a seamless payment experience while also providing the retailer a cost-effective way to corner this niche of the market. PWKD26092017

“We are excited to bring the Applause consumer engagement technology across all of our locations,” said Jonathan Kemp, I.T. Systems Manager at Moyle. “It will certainly boost our business inside the store. We also look forward to protecting our customers’ credit and debit cards from fraud with the additional security of EMV on the forecourt. Upgrading to EMV inside the store was a pretty painless process and aligns with our mission, while giving us a competitive edge.”

Gilbarco’s VP of Marketing for North America, “We launched EMV software for our Passport point-of-sale system more than a year ago. Consumers are starting to expect EMV payment acceptance, and leading retailers like Moyle are listening and rapidly enabling EMV inside the store. Given growing consumer expectations around EMV, we expect to see EMV 'turn on' at the fuel dispenser rapidly as well when the software is available later this year. Retailers are anxious to retain their security-conscious customers, who understand that fraud will be highest at those sites that haven’t yet upgraded.” PWKD27092017

Developed by Husky Corporation engineers, the new fuel nozzles have been modified with new components, new castings and a pressure-activation feature that permits the use of hold-open clips in order to comply with UL 2586. The three new Husky nozzle models are pressure activated, automatic shut-off nozzles offering tighter safety standards.

Husky Corporation Mechanical Engineer, Jerry Mahn said, "There is nothing like this Husky product line on the market for farm and commercial use that is pressure activated with flow rates up to 25 gallons per minute with low back pressure or pressure drop. The 1GSS model features a one-inch inlet, larger than the three-quarter inch inlet that is typically seen on competing farm nozzles." PWKD13092017

Leader in point of sale, mobile, and loyalty technology, The Pinnacle Corporation (Pinnacle) has stated the promotion of Sam Davis to Vice President of Global Operations.

“It has been a great privilege working at Pinnacle for the last 12 years with extremely talented people, from the top to the bottom, that start each day with the passion to achieve one goal; making our clients more successful. I’m excited as I start this new role that Pinnacle is better positioned than ever to bring very innovative, best-in-class solutions and services to our clients,” said Sam Davis.

Sam holds more than 35 years of software technology experience. Since 1995 he has been in senior management and executive positions in the convenience retail and fuel distribution industries. He leads the efforts of development teams both for Pinnacle solutions and for external clients. PWKD28092017

OPW has declared that it has hired Elizabeth Gubrud-Howe to be the new General Manager for its PDQ business.  Gubrud-Howe said, “I’m excited to be joining PDQ. It’s an awesome business that has led the way in car wash equipment and car wash systems technology for more than 30 years.”

Gubrud-Howe was the National Sales Manager for OPW’s Midland Manufacturing business, prior to joining PDQ, during which time she was responsible for leading the sales and customer services teams, as well as managing the Rail repair business from customer experience through manufacturing. PWKD29092017

More than 1500 Gilbarco employees will join forces, on October 2, to give back to their communities. All employees are offered a full work day to volunteer as part of a team, or with the community organizations of their choice, in this Day of Caring initiative.

“With over 1500 employees in the area, Gilbarco is committed to supporting the community by giving back its time and resources. We have a long history of working actively to enhance and help our community. We are pleased to extend that tradition to kick off our first Fortive Day of Caring,” said Steve Moule, President of Gilbarco North America.

Gilbarco Veeder-Root employees, in Greensboro, will be working on approximately 15 projects to feed the hungry, boost educational opportunities, support veterans, assist hospices, and fight homelessness. PWKD02102017

World’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, ChargePoint, Inc., has declared that, drivers can start charging any EV by tapping an iPhone, Android Phone or Apple Watch on any ChargePoint charger. Working at more than 40,000 ChargePoint charging spots across North America, the new ‘tap to charge’ feature makes ChargePoint the first company to empower EV drivers to start a charge by tapping their phone or Apple Watch. It also makes ChargePoint the first company to enable charging an EV with Apple Watch.

EV penetration will continue to grow and drivers will seek out the easiest and most convenient way to charge, as more and more communities incentivize drivers to go electric.

“ChargePoint is committed to getting every driver behind the wheel of an EV, and a major part of achieving that goal is making it as easy as possible for drivers to charge. Tap to charge delivers on that commitment and fosters EV adoption by providing the easiest way for drivers to charge wherever they live, work and play. The ownership experience is key to broader EV adoption, and trailblazing features like tap to charge make fueling your EV much more simple and convenient than the fuel vehicle it likely replaced,” said Colleen Jansen, chief marketing officer, ChargePoint, Inc. PWKD03102017

Certas Energy Retail Europe (Certas Energy), which is part of the Irish group DCC, has shifted its operations for another fuel retail network to the cloud. Certas Energy is now also controlling its 210 fuel service stations in Denmark using iGOS (Implico Global Operation Services), the cloud solution for downstream services, following the migration in France. From transmitting planning data to the tank terminals, to complete service station billing, all processes are now running in the cloud.

Certas Energy, in 2016, took over the downstream business in Denmark that was previously run by Shell. The supply and operation of the fuel service stations were taken over by the company very quickly and selected a solution that had already been executed in 2015 in France. It is continuing to run very successfully, migrating all service station management operations to the iGOS cloud in cooperation with Implico.

“The go-live is an important milestone and the result of close, trusting cooperation between Implico and Certas Energy. We are proud to support our partner on its path toward additional growth,” said Vassilis Karagianidis, the project manager at Implico. PWKD05102017

Pennsylvania-based fuel service station and convenience store operator, Sheetz, Inc., is going ahead with fuel service station EMVTM upgrades across its entire network of stores. In order to protect its customers from counterfeit card fraud and boost in-store business, it has chosen to standardize its network infrastructure with Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s FlexPayTM IV CRIND payment terminals and other dispenser technologies.

"The Gilbarco FlexPay IV platform provides the flexibility and payment security our customers demand, so we are making it standard across our network. These upgrades will also help us provide our customers with the most convenient fuel service station experience possible because they can use their mobile-based payment and loyalty cards when they fill up at a Sheetz location," said Ryan Sheetz, Vice President of Brand Strategies.

“Sheetz is a long-established leader and innovator in the industry,” said Mark Williams, Vice President of Marketing, Gilbarco. We continue to see leading retailers like Sheetz not only move forward with their EMV upgrades, but also leverage the upgrades to improve other elements of their businesses, beyond security. By deploying our EMV technology and improving customers’ shopping experiences with convenient and engaging dispenser enhancements, Sheetz will be able to keep customers safe from credit card fraud while encouraging them to go into the store.” PWKD09102017