At least three former Mobil dealers in Las Vegas have switched to Sinclair Oil in the last few weeks, a result of the decision by ExxonMobil Corporation to stop paying rebates to the 100-plus Mobil dealers in Nevada. Thirty of those dealers are in Clark County.

The three Las Vegas stations currently receiving fuel from Sinclair Oil are located at 1625 N. Lamb, 3280 S. Decatur, and 4730 W. Cheyenne Avenue.

Las Vegas Chevron and Texaco stations sit side-by-side on the corner of Boulder Highway and Desert Inn because Chevron, the number two U.S. oil company, lost its exclusive rights to the Texaco name when it sold the Texaco refineries and stations to Royal Dutch Shell.

By the year 2004, ChevronTexaco will again be selling Texaco-branded gasoline in the United States. Shell and Saudi Refining Inc., have the exclusive right to sell gasoline in the U.S. under the name Texaco until July 1, 2004.

Long battling pollution problems, the Las Vegas Valley, with major funding from the Federal government and months of testing, will have a new "super bus" running in the north part of the suburban area of the city by December 2003. Special lanes have been set up exclusively for the new diesel electric bus dubbed the MAX.

It has been described as a cross between a bus and a subway. It is designed to hold 120 people and glides along a painted track to subway-like stops. It is manned by drivers who will brake or accelerate while a high-tech optical guidance system will follow a painted track to the stops, controlling the bus as it pulls up to the stop and also providing precision parking so commuters may board and exit quickly.

The Fernley Truck Inn and Casino on Interstate 80 near Reno-Sparks, has been bought by The Holder Hospitality Group LLC. A large truck mounted on a pole makes it easily recognizable to passing motorists. Holder plans on adding 175 slot machines to the 42-room motel, casino, convenience store, 165-seat restaurant, and auto and truck fueling station.

The Clark County Air Quality Management Department announced the onset of the winter oxygenated fuel program which began again on October 7 and will continue through March 31, 2003. The purpose is to reduce air pollution through the addition of ethanol to all grades of gasoline.

A proposed gross receipts tax in the state of Nevada has fueled complaints from both petroleum and auto dealers. John Haycock of Haycock Petroleum said the 0.25% tax would be a disaster for petroleum dealers, claiming they exist on a 2-3% profit margin and it would be difficult to pass the proposed tax on to their customers.

The tax would be collected on all revenue earned by businesses and bring the state as much as $250 million a year.

Lyle Norcross has been elected the 2002-2003 President of the Nevada Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. He will also serve as the PMAA director for Nevada. Other officers for the year will be Vice President Mike Zunini; State Executive Peter Krueger; and Directors Richard T. Crawford, Las Vegas; Mark Smith, North Las Vegas; Peggy Smitten, Fallon; Keith Stewart, Las Vegas; and Myneer Walker, Reno.

An eerie glow suddenly appeared in the sky northwest of Las Vegas. No, it wasn’t a UFO. It was an enormous fireball formed after a tanker carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline suddenly erupted into fire, closing Interstate 15 in both directions for five hours.

The driver of the truck escaped from the tanker after two tires blew out on his rig. A second tanker, riding 17 feet behind the burning one, did not catch fire.

The Las Vegas Valley is a borderline area for ozone and has submitted plans to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency outlining a procedure to demonstrate Clark County can deal with the problem effectively.

The Western Petroleum Marketers Association has made the final decision for its post-convention trip slated for June 8-15, 2003: a 7-night Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise.

The cruise will begin in Vancouver, British Columbia where the group will board the Vision of the Seas. Highlights will include cruising Yakutat Bay to view the spectacular Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

For more information, call Gerry Tedrow of the WPMA at 801-263-9762 or Chris Lambert or Steve Marquardt at Destinations Inc. at 800-748-4777.

The theme of the Feb. 18-20, 2003 Western Petroleum Marketers Association Convention and Convenience Store Expo is "Celebrating 50 Years of Success." Barbara Bush is the keynote speaker. A limited number of autographed copies of Mrs. Bush’s most recent book, Barbara Bush: A Memoir, will be available in the Western Petroleum Marketers Scholarship Silent Auction.

Dan Fouts, NFL Hall of Famer and San Diego Chargers quarterback will be the featured speaker at the Awards Luncheon. He will be available in the trade show area to sign autographs for a limited time on Thursday morning.

Plan to attend and don’t forget: the WPMA is back at the Mirage in Las Vegas this year.

Originally published in the December 2002 issue of the O&A Marketing News.
Copyright 2002 by KAL Publications Inc.