Terrible Herbst is now Terrible Chevron in all but two of its over 40 locations in Las Vegas. Recently one of the Terrible Chevron stations made free mammograms available to over-40 Las Vegans.

D&G Oil Company of Las Vegas has been purchased by River City Petroleum, whose main office is in Sacramento, CA.

The racing Herbst brothers, sons of Herbst Oil Company President Jerry Herbst, have been at it again, racking up wins in the once-a-year SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge race. Tim and Ed Herbst split the driving duties during the two-day race and won the Trophy-Truck division despite experiencing transmission trouble on the second day. Their younger brother, Troy, won the Class 1 title. Troy also ran the fastest lap of the event.

NRG Technologies Inc. has developed a renewable, sustainable and non-fossil fuel at its Reno laboratory. NRG scientists believe that the exhaust from a vehicle using this fuel will contain no measurable carbon monoxide and extremely low nitrogen oxide emissions without compromising performance. A Ford F-150 truck using the fuel will be running on local roads in Clark County and the truck will become part of Clark County’s fleet.

A grand total of $60,000 was given through Urban Consortium Applied Energy Funds to the County who will act as project manager. The County will administer the grant funds and coordinate research efforts. Other partners are the Nevada Test Site Development Corp., Desert Research Institute and the State Energy Office.

NRG Technologies also modified a Ford Crown Victoria sedan which has been tested in the Reno area and is now in Las Vegas for use by Clark County as part of its educational outreach demonstrations of cleaner fuel.

Ethanol is added to gasoline during winter months in Clark County to reduce carbon monoxide levels. This was made mandatory in September of 1997. Mike Naylor, director of Clark County Air Pollution, states that this mandate has significantly reduced air pollution in the area.

The Western States Petroleum Association doesn’t agree. They filed a suit in the U.S. District Court, arguing that the mandate excludes other oxygenated additives such as MTBE in winter fuels. The hearing will be held on April 15 in Reno.

Good news for tire stores in Las Vegas! Due to increased construction of businesses and homes and continuous roadwork, Las Vegas roads are full of objects guaranteed to ruin a driver’s day. Some of the more interesting objects found embedded in tires are the head of a hammer, a screwdriver, and pieces of wood.

The 1999 Western Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Expo held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas Feb. 23-25 drew a record crowd: 4,690 were in attendance. The brand new convention facility with show space all on one floor was filled to capacity. The space was sold out four months before the convention with 30 companies left on a waiting list.

The keynote address by Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc., and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine, received a standing ovation from a crowd of 1,600. Another plus during convention activities was the silent auction which generated $12,000 for the WPMA Scholarship Fund. Las Vegas rolled out good weather for the 290 golfers and many tennis players.

Andy Pala, the Arizona state exec., was unable to attend the WPMA due to hip replacement surgery. Among those spotted at the convention, however, were Clark Houghton, chairman of the board of the PMAA, along with Dan Gilligan, executive director of the PMAA. Also in attendance were Bill Klink, general chairman of the POC, and Dan Abraham, chairman of the board of NACS.

If you didn’t attend the WPMA convention, there is still room available for the after-convention seminar which will take place on May 15-28 aboard the luxurious Celebrity Cruise Line Ship Century. The itinerary includes the Greek Islands of Katakolon, Iraklion, Santorini, and Gythion; Athens, Greece; Turkey; Malta; and Venice, Rome, Livorno, and Genoa, Italy. Call (888) 252-5550 or (800) 748-4777 for information.

Also, it is time to make plans to attend the Nevada Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store 1999 Convention and Trade Show, June 8-10. It will be held at the Primm Resort and Casino in Primm, 40 minutes outside of Las Vegas. Play golf in the second annual Jim Smitten Memorial Golf Tournament and, if you have energy left over, visit the Primm outlet mall for some good shopping.

Originally published in the April 1999 issue of the O&A Marketing News.
Copyright 1999 by KAL Publications Inc.