respond | preferences | login | unsubscribe

Steve Dixon, president of P.B. Hoidale Co. in Wichita, Kansas, became the 71st president of the Petroleum Equipment Institute Jan. 1. He succeeds Bill Mascott, president of Mascott Equipment in Portland, Oregon. Ron Sledd, president of Beneficial Systems in Jetersville, Virginia, is the new PEI vice president. John Keller of JF Petroleum Group in San Antonio, Texas, continues as treasurer.

In his first action as president, Dixon appointed more than 200 members to 28 PEI committees. This includes 16 members who have not previously served on a PEI committee. The number of qualified applicants this year again exceeded the number of open committee slots. PEI is grateful for every person who offered their time and talents to the association.

A complete list of PEI committees and 2021 committee members is here.

If you are interested in serving in 2022, email your committee preference(s) and qualifications to PEI Executive Vice President Rick Long at rlong@pei.org.

STIMULUS ACT RESOURCES AND FREE WEBINAR
President Trump signed omnibus legislation Dec. 27 that included new economic stimulus provisions. The package:

• Allows a second Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) draw for businesses with 300 or fewer employees and a 25% reduction in gross receipts in any 2020 quarter.
• Expands the forgivable purposes for which PPP loan proceeds may be used.
• Extends PPP loan eligibility to certain 501(c)(6) corporations.
• Simplifies PPP forgiveness procedures on loans of under $150,000.
• Confirms the deductibility of expenses paid with forgiven PPP funds (reversing a controversial IRS ruling discussed in the Dec. 3, 2020 TulsaLetter).
• Extends and expands the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC).

Dixon Appoints 2021 PEI Committees

Stimulus Act Resources and Webinar

PEI Seeks RP Topics

EV Developments

Priority Club Adds 3

EEOC: Employers May Require COVID-19 Vaccinations

PEI Foundation Scholarship Applications

Economic Insights Webinar

Respond to this Newsletter

by e-mail to the editor, Rick Long at rlong@pei.org

Late last night, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department issued two interim final rules on the PPP provisions:

• Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program as Amended summarizes rules for PPP loans to first-time borrowers
• Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Loans summarizes rules for businesses seeking a second PPP loan.

PEI is co-sponsoring a free Jan. 11 webinar on the stimulus bill. Seating is limited, Preregistration is required.

Title: The New Stimulus Act: The Big Changes That Will Impact Your Business

Presenter: Gene Marks, CPA, a columnist for The Hill, The Guardian, Forbes and The Washington Times

Focus: Legislation overview; PPP second draw rules; PPP loan forgiveness simplification; ERTC expansion; incentives for minority-owned businesses; answers to audience questions.

Date: Jan. 11

Time: 2 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Central

Register: Click here

PEI SEEKS RECOMMENDED PRACTICE TOPICS
PEI is seeking topics suitable for future PEI technical documents. Suggested topics should:

• Involve fuel or fluid handling practices that would strengthen the industry.
• Be overlooked or inadequately covered in other industry documents and literature.
• Be within the expertise of PEI members who could write the proposed document.

To suggest a topic, email Scott Boorse by Jan. 31. Please include the purpose, scope and audience for the proposed document. PEI’s Recommended Practice Topic Selection Committee, which is composed of the chairmen of all 17 PEI Recommended Practice committees, will review the submissions and submit its analysis to the PEI board of directors.

EV DEVELOPMENTS

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) median estimated range for all 2020 model-year EVs exceeds 250 miles. One vehicle (the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus) achieved a range of more than 400 miles.
• 2020 EV battery-pack prices fell 13%, from $156 to $137 per kilowatt-hour (kwh), according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Ten years ago, the average was $1,100 per kwh. Analysts have long predicted that EVs will achieve purchase price parity with liquid fuel vehicles when battery prices reach $100 per kwh.
• The Biden administration plans 500,000 new public EV charging stations by 2030 and immediate restoration of the full income tax credit for EV purchases, U.S. Secretary of Transportation nominee Pete Buttigieg confirmed.
• Tesla hit its 2020 target of 500,000 vehicle deliveries, despite a government-mandated two-month shutdown of its Fremont, California factory.
• Massachusetts plans to end gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035 and eliminate all passenger-vehicle greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 2050, the state announced.

PEI PRIORITY CLUB ADDS 3 MEMBERS
Three more PEI members joined the PEI Priority Club, bringing total 2021 commitments to 30 companies, as of press time. The additions are:

• United Rentals Trench Safety (Gold)
• Ascentium Capital (Bronze)
• LSI Industries (Bronze)

Priority Club members receive special recognition, discounts and benefits throughout the year. Companies that apply by Jan. 15 also may select booths for the 2021 NACS Show before other exhibitors.

To learn more about Priority Club membership, email Tom Leibrandt.

Download the 2021 Priority Club application here.

EEOC: EMPLOYERS MAY REQUIRE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
Employers may require their employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when vaccinations become available, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) confirmed.

FAQs posted Dec. 16 on the EEOC website explain how to protect employees’ rights to confidentiality, comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accommodate employees whose sincerely held religious beliefs prohibit vaccination.

PEI FOUNDATION OPENS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
The PEI Foundation is accepting applications for $1,000 Charles D. Kemp Scholarships.

Each applicant must be a dependent of a full-time PEI member company employee. The applicant also must enroll as a full-time freshman for the 2021-2022 academic year at an accredited four-year college or university. Scholarship awards are based on academic achievement, leadership, character, need and the applicant’s intent to contribute to the future of the fuel and fluid handling equipment industry.

The application deadline is March 31, 2021.

FREE ECONOMIC INSIGHT WEBINAR
Join PEI colleagues and other professionals in the fourth of six free economic insight webinars co-sponsored by PEI. Learn more and register here.

Title: Managing in an Uncertain Economy

Presenter: Alex Chausovsky, ITR Economics senior business advisor

Date: Jan. 20

Time: 3 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Central

Register: Click here

BRIEFLY NOTED
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving retailers another chance to apply for grant money under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) … . The agency is reopening the HBIIP application portal for another 30 days starting Dec. 21. In October, USDA announced several recipients of the up to $100 million in matching grants. The funding can be used to install fuel dispensing and storage equipment that will support higher-level blends.” — Oil Express, Dec. 21
“Cambridge, Massachusetts, this week became the first city in the U.S. to put health and environment warning labels on its gas pumps. … They read: ‘Warning: Burning Gasoline, Diesel, and Ethanol has major consequences on human health and the environment including contributing to climate change.’" — Car and Driver, Dec. 20

DEATHS
Lee Nicholson, founder of Omntec Mfg., died Dec. 6, from  complications of COVID-19. Nicholson retired in 2018 after nearly 40 years with the company. He studied electronics and hydraulics in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Independence. He attended Memphis State University and Hofstra University.

Survivors include wife Carol; a daughter Lydia (Charlie); three sons: Keith (Donna), Steven (Amy) and Gregg (Jennifer); and eight grandchildren.

PEI MEMBER NEWS
JF Petroleum Group, agreed to acquire the assets of Madison, Indiana-based JHS Construction, a turnkey construction services company serving Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021. The ethanol industry supports 350,000 jobs and contributes more than $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to RFA.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
North Dakota service company. Premium Petroleum Services LLC, 301 Second Ave. NW, Jamestown, ND 58401, applied for service and construction division membership. James Andrews is owner of the firm, which was established in October 2019. Premium Petroleum Services LLC is a petroleum service and compliance company. Sponsored for PEI membership by Glen Corkill, Source North America, Addison, Illinois.

Pennsylvania software company. Keldair HR, 1439 Monroe Ave., Suite 1, Dunmore, PA 18509, applied for affiliate division membership. Patrick Clark is director of business development for the company, which was established in 2007. Keldair HR offers a cloud-based hiring software platform. Sponsored for PEI membership by John Skiles, Formex LLC, Richmond, Virginia. www.keldairhr.com

ADMITTED TO PEI

• Metro Environmental Services LLC, Farmingdale, New York (service and construction)
• URSA Engineering Inc., Redding, California (service and construction)

The TulsaLetter is published two or three times each month by the Petroleum Equipment Institute. Richard C. Long, Editor. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the Editor.