TARRYTOWN, N.Y. -- It has been nine months since Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stood before the United Nations, speaking out against U.S. President George W. Bush. The tirade set off a campaign by some consumers to boycott gas stations branded CITGO, the Houston refiner and supplier owned by PDVSA, the national oil company of Venezuela.
While it is widely agreed the boycott had little, if any, effect on CITGO's gasoline sales, CITGO retailer and distributor Wayne Jeffers still gets about one e-mail or note a day decrying his decision to sell CITGO [image-nocss] products. Perhaps the reason is a radio commercial he ran in his market explaining why he will stick with the CITGO brand.
Though it ran for only about two weeks, the ad has found a longer lifespan on the CITGO corporate Web site. To hear the commercial, click here.
It was kind of damage control after Chavez called Bush a jerk, Jeffers, president of Barrier Motor Fuels, Tarrytown, N.Y., told CSP Daily News. We created that commercial to try to eliminate the politics from my little Westchester county market just north of New York City.
In the spot, which Jeffers said he said he believes gives the company a local and personal touch, he invites consumers to e-mail him with their thoughts or questions. He said they've done that, as the 12-store retailer continues to field messages from consumers far and wide. The vast majority oppose Jeffers' support of his chosen gasoline brandsome using expletives and four-letter words. A few, however, offer support and encouragement.
On the day he was interviewed by CSP Daily News, he received this note from an area resident:
I will no longer buy CITGO products due to Chavez's abuse of his own people and the oppression of rights. They are suffering. I hope you will use the economic muscle you have to try to affect some changes in this situation.
And that's a nice one, said Jeffers. Some of them [use vulgar language aimed at me]. They call me un-American.
But he points to CITGO's assistance to him during local emergencies to illustrate just how much distance there is between the oil company and the Venezuelan government. My company serviced the local utility ConEdison during the 9/11 issue, he said. They shut down New York Port and there was a limited amount of supplies available. CITGO opened me up, made sure I had plenty of fuel, gave me an extra $250,000 worth of credit, and we were able to service [our customers and ConEd]. They were very responsive.
Jeffers aimed to get that message across in his commercial, and he's considering making a new ad to repeat the message. Similarly, Jeffers replies to every e-mail he receives with this response:
CITGO is a U.S. registered company. It files and pays taxes like any other company in the U.S.
Its stock is owned by PDVSA, a nationally owned oil company in the country of Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez does not own the company or the country as he is an elected president of a democratic country.
I have purchased fuel from CITGO since 1981, when it was City Services, a publicly traded company. The company was sold a few times, and during my tenure, it was acquired 50% in 1986 and the other 50% in 1990 by PDVSA.
I've chosen CITGO for supply over the long term as I wanted my supply to come from a democratic country close to home.
I would suggest Mr. Chavez is not a great politician and speaks without considering his words. Venezuela has been a good neighbor and supplier for many years and will be long after the current politicians are gone.
I try not to buy from Middle Eastern suppliers as I think that money has found its way past the rhetoric and into the pockets of the people who are really trying to harm us.
My company is located 30 miles north of the World Trade Center, and Barrier also supplies the local utility with emergency fuel for generators, usually one or two. In this case [9/11], there were dozens.
I am very sensitive to the issue of security at our home and abroad. One way we can help to protect America is to conserve fuel: buy a hybrid, wear two sweaters, find renewable resources. In the meantime, we need all the crude that the world can produce.
While the rhetoric keeps coming, Jeffers said he hasn't seen any measurable drop off in gasoline volume, recently or right after Chavez's visit to the U.N. I don't think it has severely affected me in any way, shape or form, he said. Only one [e-mail] a day is what I average, and I consider that nothing.
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