ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Georgia Oilmen's Association (GOA) board has voted to rejoin the Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA), the national organization said in an email news bulletin. The state group previously was a PMAA member, but dropped out in 1994.
Don Smallwood, chairperson of the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based group, said, Today's jobber class of trade is facing some significant legislative and regulatory challenges. Georgia jobbers want to do our part and help PMAA address those challenges.
With this deal, PMAA [image-nocss] regains an important player with considerable influence in the South. PMAA Chairperson Craig Eerkes said, PMAA will be stronger with GOA's support, and PMAA leaders are delighted with their decision. Because jobber companies are getting bigger and more complex, jobber issues in Washington, D.C., are getting bigger and more complex, as well. While our companies are getting bigger, there are fewer of us to carry the load. We very much appreciate the commitment and support offered by GOA.
In recent years, PMAA President Dan Gilligan and GOA President Roger Lane have coordinated lobbying efforts on a variety of marketer issues. The GOA board decision will now enable PMAA staff and GOA staff to strengthen their joint lobbying efforts and work together more effectively, said the bulletin.
Gilligan and Lane have never talked about past differences of opinion between GOA and PMAA. All ofour discussions have been about the future and moving forward, Gilligan told CSP Daily News. Over the past several years,Rogerand I have had many discussions about PMAA's targeted focus on jobber/distributor issues.I think Roger now believesPMAA isreally focused on the issuesimportant to GOA members and that PMAA deserves GOA support.
Lane declined to elaborate on what caused the group to leave PMAA, but told CSP Daily News, GOA believes that the conditions that forced it to drop out have been corrected.We look forward to working with Dan.
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