Blair D. Shwedo, president of SouthEastern Petroleum Systems, Inc., Charlotte, NC, has been appointed by the board of directors of the Petroleum Equipment Institute to serve as the 2008 vice president of the organization, while Peter Ward, president of Glasgow Equipment Service, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL, has been named PEI’s new treasurer.

In addition to being a 2007 member of the PEI board of directors, Shwedo also served as the association’s treasurer and was a member of the Electrical Continuity Testing and Strategic/Long-Range Planning Committees and the Columbia 10-Group. Ward has been a member of PEI’s Education Committee and the Exchange 10-Group. The appointments of Shwedo and Ward were announced during the Institute’s annual convention at the NACS Show, which was held this year at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.

“Blair and Peter have been active advocates for the Petroleum Equipment Institute and its programs for many years,” said Robert Renkes, PEI’s Executive Vice President. “We welcome them to their new positions and are convinced that they will represent the Institute with integrity in these new roles and continue to create many long-term benefits for PEI and its member companies.”

In addition to his work as a PEI board and committee member, Shwedo has been president of SouthEastern Petroleum Systems since 1992. SouthEastern Petroleum Systems is a full-service PEI distributor offering sales, service and installation of petroleum-handling equipment through the Southeast. Customers range in size from single-site convenience-store owners to national private fleet-fueling systems operators located across the United States. Shwedo and his wife, Laura, reside in Charlotte with their two children, Blair, Jr., and Anne.

Ward has been president of Glasgow Equipment Service since 1979. The company was formed by his grandfather Guy Glasgow in 1952 before his father, David Ward, bought the company in 1974. Glasgow Equipment Service represents many PEI manufacturers in the service-station and commercial industries in the South Florida area. 

Founded in 1951, PEI is comprised of more than 1,500 companies engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of equipment used in petroleum marketing and related operations. Members are located in 50 states and 81 countries.

For additional information on PEI or its membership, please contact Tena Wooldridge or visit www.pei.org. The PEI logo is a registered trademark of the Petroleum Equipment Institute.

PEI is the international trade association for distributors, manufacturers and installers of equipment used in petroleum-marketing and liquid-handling operations. Users of the equipment include service station and convenience-store owners, terminals, bulk plants and airport refueling operations. PEI is comprised of more than 1,600 companies engaged in the manufacture and distribution of equipment used in petroleum marketing operations. Members are located in 50 states and 81 countries. The Institute's headquarters are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.