You’re running your gas station and convenience store. You’ve made a solid business strategy and have seen some noteworthy success. You may have even expanded to a number of stores. If you think you’ve done everything you could to build up your business, however, you’d be missing one vital step to your growth: joining a gas station and convenience store association.
Associations are excellent ways to be informed on changes in the industry, receive membership benefits, and gain valuable networking with other members and leaders in the industry.
List of Associations and Benefits of Membership Based on Region
Below, you can find some of the major gas station and convenience store associations in your region of the US.
Southern States
Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama
P&CMA is a highly connected and reputable association stationed in Montgomery and Washington D.C. With strong ties to lobbyists and other national associations, the P&CMA is dedicated to protecting member interests with year-round in-house lobbying and legislative counsels. Members can expect weekly newsletters, educational seminars, legal advice, comprehensive marketing tips, and access to annual conventions.
Louisiana Oil Marketers & Convenience Store Association
LOMSCA consists of over 250 members who operate, own, and deliver to over 3,000 convenience stores, service stations, and gas stations. LOMSCA supports its member with political representation, unique scholarship programs, learning seminars, and perennial conventions and events throughout the year. The group provides support to a broad list of members revolving around the petroleum industry.
South-Western States
Texas Food and Fuel Association
The Texas Food and Fuel Association is a non-profit trade association representing the retail district of the oil and gas industry in Texas. The association provides support through networking, professional development tools, events centered around relationship-building, and more. TFFA operates and supplies more than 12,000 convenience stores and gas stations. Membership with TFFA opens the doors to a variety of professionals in the field, both in the private and public sectors.
Texas Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association
The TPCA is a non-profit organization that provides an array of benefits to petroleum marketing members as well as convenience store owners. The organization focuses on providing reliable services and goods in the energy market. Members can expect to receive support through the introduction of gas station products, educational seminars, events, and the most up-to-date news in the industry.
West Coast
American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association
The APCA is a California-based association that aims to provide and support small and independently owned gas stations and convenience store owners. The group places a strong emphasis on democratic organization and grassroots movements. The APCA incorporates a vendor program to ensure convenience store owner salary rates and profits are increased at an average rate of $300 per month. The group frequently writes to legislatures and has recently affected laws in Berkeley, Fresno, and Sonoma County.
Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association
The CWPMA has been uniting voices in the petroleum industry since 1934. The association focuses on building ties and relationships with generational businesses that, through branding and contract agreements, partner with gasoline refinery producers. Members can expect to receive a large percentage of their gasoline and special fuel at wholesale and subsidized prices.
Midwestern States
Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association
Created in 1921, the IPMA has continued to promote a more profitable economic environment for convenience store owners and petroleum industry members in the state of Illinois. The organization works to limit and prevent customs and actions that inhibit sound business principles. Through lobbying, the group aims to prevent legislation that would install exacting restrictions on gas station and convenience store owners, as well as functioning members of the petroleum industry.
Minnesota Petroleum Marketers Association
The MPM association stands on four major principles of representation and support: education, analysis, and programs to help businesses with regulatory compliance issues, regulation and legislative monitoring, and various membership services and benefits. The association was formed in 1923 and since that time has simplified and reached out to members with any and all newly introduced state mandates, regulations, and conventions.
East Coast
Maine Energy Marketers Association
MEMA has been working on behalf of energy marketers and their consumers since 1954. The association focuses on educational support through news media, legislative backing, and informing the public on proceedings regarding Maine’s energy industry. MEMA has been running several campaigns that aim to inform the public on why their members are sticking with oil and propane. The association makes sure to inform the public of current research on the benefits of oil and gas sales in areas where their members are doing business.
New York Association of Convenience Stores
The NYACS is a member-driven association dedicated to forging a favorable environment for local convenience stores. Founded in 1968, the NYACS is a non-profit organization that operates in more than 16,000 store locations. The association focuses on supplying owners with products and services from over 150 associate-member companies.
It’s important for any convenience owner, gas station owner or member of the petroleum industry to evaluate the various associations relevant to their regions. Associations can be a big part of your future business strategy and help you increase profits, connect with the industry, and protect your business from infringing state and national regulations.
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