Dear PEI Member:

The PEI Board of Directors met during the PEI Convention to discuss Institute activities and conduct other business. During the meeting on October 17, President Craig Hoyer was appointed to a three-year term on the PEI Foundation Board of Governors. As you may know, the Foundation provides college scholarships to deserving sons and daughters of full-time PEI member company employees. Scholarship applications for the 2017-18 academic year will be available at www.pei.org/foundation by December 1, 2017. You are encouraged to make your employees aware of this outstanding opportunity. The Foundation is also being used this year to provide up to $1,000 in financial assistance to PEI members affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Additionally, the board authorized up to $5,000 to be donated to a relief agency in Puerto Rico to assist with clean-up efforts there.

Organizationally and financially, your association remains very strong. PEI today has some 1,600 corporate and individual members and a budget of just over $3.2 million.

As for the just-completed 2017 Convention, the fuel equipment and services area of the trade show sold out, with exhibitors in more than 600 booths displaying the latest in technology and services. Paid attendance was up 7.9 percent from the 2016 Atlanta convention. Education sessions on such topics as confined space entry, fuels and fuel equipment, leadership, business valuation, employee engagement and the economy were well attended and well received. During the PEI one-on-one sessions, U.S. EPA officials were on hand to discuss federal tank regulations, and representatives from UL provided information on new standards for sumps and fiberglass tanks.

Another highlight in Chicago: more than 90 attendees participated in a special educational session designed specifically for Latin American members. Three presentations, given in Spanish, focused on issues of importance in the Latin American market, including DEF and vapor recovery. 

The annual membership meeting featured a “State of the Industry” report from Executive Vice President Rick Long. He provided an update on business conditions, the service technician shortage, E15, the EMV deadline delay, and 3D printing technology.

In the board meeting, directors discussed a number of matters, including:

• Ad Hoc Service Tech Training Committee. An ad hoc committee, formed earlier this year, will meet in early 2018 to evaluate the tools offered by PEI and, if warranted, suggest next steps to the Strategic Long Range Planning Committee. An informal gathering of the ad hoc committee took place during the Convention on October 19.
• Latin American Initiative. In addition to prioritizing the Spanish sessions conducted during the Convention, the Latin American steering committee recommended that PEI sponsor an event in Latin America during 2018. The board reviewed the recommendation and asked PEI staff to continue working with the steering committee to conduct more research on additional programs and services that PEI could provide in Latin America. View April 2018 Mid-Year Board of Directors update regarding this initiative.
• Recommended Practices. PEI’s Recommended Practices continue to serve an important and growing role in the industry. Two new documents are currently under development:
  • PEI/RP1600 (LNG fueling systems)
  • PEI/RP1700 (closure of USTs and shop-fabricated ASTs)
• 2018 PEI Convention at the NACS Show. Plans are already underway for next year’s PEI Convention at the NACS Show on Oct. 7-10, 2018, in Las Vegas. Please save these dates on your calendar and plan to attend!

To learn more about the PEI Board of Directors or locate your district representative: PEI Officers & Directors