SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As incoming NACS chairman, 34-store retailer Tom Robinson looks forward to discovering every aspect of the convenience store association, from its educational charter to its work on Capitol Hill. Robinson, CEO of Robinson Oil Corp., Santa Clara, Calif., which operates 34 Rotten Robbie stations, shared his thoughts with CSP as he steps into his new role.
Q: What do you see as the major industry issues going forward?
A: Certainly the association has spent time and effort dealing with card-swipe fees. It ended up with a significant victory [NACS helped stop attempts to delay enactment of the new law], but we're not done. We also learned there's a great opportunity in our grass-roots [efforts]. I was impressed by our grass-roots push and it's something the association needs to build on.
There's also E15 [ethanol-blended gasoline] and exactly how the renewable fuels standard will work out. Will we have it in legal containers? Will we be able to get [proper] liability protection or something as close as we can get? The ability for retailers to sell E15 in a legal and lawful matter is a big deal out there.
Q: So you see the industry's ability to comply with increasing regulation as another issue?
A: The FDA [Food & Drug Administration] and its regulation of tobacco is working its way into the process, yes. It's regulatory, not legislative. That's important. Then you also have the food and the nutritional aspect, with the menu labeling and the new buzzwords: "food deserts." We're concerned about who gets vilified … and making sure the process is realistic and reasonable.
Q: In addition to helping educate lawmakers and advocate for the industry, what other areas do you see yourself being active?
A: NACS has been using the words, "knowledge, connection and advocacy." We just talked about advocacy. I think that the knowledge and connection pieces are gigantic. It's amazing to me why people come to [our conferences], and why it's important to them. At different times, the value proposition changes. Sometimes it's advocacy, but sometimes it's knowledge and connections. For example, CSX and [the data it produces for our SOI] meeting. It's hugely valuable to companies of all sizes. And there's NACStech, where you've got a forum for technology and a trade show, too.
Something else that NACS does well is good, solid public relations. If [you expect a negative] event to occur, you have to start your P.R. early. You need to plant the crop, so you have it when you need it to come in, such as the volatility of fuel that we saw after the recent hurricanes.
Q: What are you feeling about your new role now that the time is drawing near?
A: I'm very excited about it. I've been around the NACS government relations committee a lot. I'm excited about the other aspects of the association, the knowledge and connections pieces. As a chairman, one of your duties, responsibilities or opportunities is that you get to be an ambassador for the association. You meet folks in other areas, states and venues. That part is going to be interesting. It's been a great opportunity to know more of our supplier partners and the media as well. That part to me is going to be the most rewarding--to expand my knowledge and my connections in the industry ... and to find out what the heck they're doing.
Click here to hear more about Robinson's goals for the coming year.
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