ATLANTA – “We have something special here,” NACS 2007-2008 Chairman Richard Oneslager told attendees at the NACS Show Closing General Session, speaking both about the industry he represents and the association he now leads.

From his first NACS Show in 1994 to the one that just concluded in Atlanta, Oneslager, who is CEO of Balmar Petroleum/First Hand Management, went from not owning any stores to assuming the position of NACS chairman.

That remarkable journey was one of the many stories Oneslager shared with attendees in outlining his impressions of the industry and NACS – and where both are going.

A year after his first NACS Show, Oneslager became a store owner. Then, his business partner suggested he call NACS to share the ideas contained in the store. While Oneslager was skeptical of the idea – he thought that his small operation would be of little interest to NACS – the ideas in this store were featured in NACS Ideas 2 Go 1996, which began Oneslager’s relationship with NACS.

This example highlights the businesses that NACS serves, said Oneslager, adding that the association works on behalf of convenience and petroleum retailers who are seeking to improve their operations – whether they have one store or 1,000.

And the industry’s “spirit of openness” continues to make this a unique channel, both for sharing ideas and friendships. Oneslager noted that most retailers have made some of their best friends at NACS events. 

In addition to friendships with peers, retailers also have unique bonds with their communities. “The corner store didn’t go away,” Oneslager said. “We are the corner store” and are both in the community and part of it. “Our neighbors rely on us,” he said.

Something else that relies on the convenience and petroleum industry is the federal, state and local governments, noted Oneslager. “We are tax factories,” he said, noting that the industry collects or pays $144 billion in taxes – whether taxes for motor fuels, cigarettes, property, sales, payroll or lottery sales. Compare that to the industry’s profits of $4.8 billion. “Oh yeah, profits, they tax those, too, so add another $2 billion,” he said.

Oneslager logged on to the CSX Web site to benchmark one of his stores to see if it had similar taxes. And it did – it paid or collected $1.3 million in taxes. “I am proud to say I’m a million-dollar man,” he said.

The concept of the industry being a tax factory “is a message we need to communicate…We have an amazing set of facts to share,” said Oneslager.

And the industry is sharing its messages and engaging the public. Witness the dozens of Georgia state officials who accepted invitations to attend the Closing General Session to learn more about the industry, Oneslager observed.

But, Oneslager said, we also need to listen more. “My grandpa told me that we have two ears and one mouth and we should use them in proportion,” he said, noting that we as an industry should be learning all we can about the issues important to our customers, whether it’s climate change or other current topics. “If they are important to them, they are important to us,” he said.

And don’t take ourselves too seriously, said Oneslager, praising the risks that 7-Eleven took with its Kwik-E-Mart promotion and embracing a television show that often mocks our industry. But, he noted, think about the significance of the convenience store on “The Simpsons.” It is the only retail channel that is prominently featured – not a dollar store, grocery store or a big box store.

Clearly, the industry faces challenges, noted Oneslager, such as outrageous credit card fees, shrinking gasoline margins and competition that continues to intensify.

But the industry is well positioned. He shared a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it. And, Oneslager stressed, “NACS will give you every tool possible so that these times are very good to you.”