"You would be hard pressed to find anyone who has worked harder or longer for independent petroleum marketers than Jim Garrett," said Steve Turner, chairman of the 2010 DSA Committee. "Jim has been active [image-nocss] as an industry volunteer at the local level, the state level and the national level for over 30 years, and his contributions are many," he said.
Volta Oil is a family-owned company that operates 10 convenience stores and two gasoline-only stores and distributes motor fuel to another 47 retail outlets in Massachusetts. The company started in 1930 as a Texaco-branded service station, and was purchased by Jim in 1976. Since then, Volta Oil has increased its fuel sales tenfold, and it opened its first convenience store in 1988. Volta Oil also is involved in service and construction as well as environmental and engineering services through Norfolk Ram Group LLC.
Garrett has represented the Independent Oil Marketers of New England (IOMA) on the PMAA board of directors for 16 years and is currently the longest-serving PMAA board member. He has served as chairman of IOMA and chairman of the National Association of Texaco & Shell Marketers. He has also served as a board member of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).
He is on the advisory committee to the Massachusetts Alzheimer Association Board of Directors; past director of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce; co-chairman of the Boston Clean Cities Initiative; member of the Duxbury Men's Group; and active in his church where he has served as a trustee.
Garrett began his career in 1960 as a weather officer (1st Lieutenant) for the U.S. Air Force in Portland, Maine. He later joined Armstrong Industries in Lancaster, Pa., as a production planning manager. In 1966, He relocated to Medford, Mass., where he served as vice president and general manager for General Oil Co. before acquiring Volta Oil in 1976. In addition to serving as Volta Oil's president and CEO, he has served as CFO and partner of Norfolk Ram Group since 1996.
A graduate of Cornell University, Garrett also received a Certificate of Meteorology from New York University. He and his wife Jane are the parents of five children, three of whom work at Volta Oil: Bruce (vice president of operations), Peter, (vice president of marketing and president of direct retail), and Stephen (vice president of IT, administration and operations).
Serving with Steve Turner on the Distinguished Service Award Committee were Jim Buhrmaster, Craig Eerkes, Dawna Leitzke and Stanley Roberts, PMAA said.
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