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News | News Archive | Spring 2007
 Quality Culture – Acts of Kindness
Often people ask me to explain
or describe our company culture. I
have found it to be one of the
things you see clearly in your head
but hard to actually put into words.
But it is something that is so distinguishingly
different
and special that defines us as
a company.
To best describe our
culture is to say it is more of a
feeling one gets when they meet
a Quality Oil or Reliable team
member.
Actions are always louder than
words, so let me just give some examples. |
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QOC Acts of kindness:
- The exceptional caring spirit our team
members exhibited to the parents and
relatives of the Virginia Tech students
when they found themselves staying at our
Hampton Inn in Christiansburg, Va. under
the most grievous of circumstances.
- The Reliable driver that went out
of his way to help pump gasoline for a
disabled patron at one of our
Quality Marts.
- The thousands of genuine “Good
Morning” greetings over the intercom
by our Quality Plus and Quality Mart
team members.
- To all of you who routinely answer
the telephone with a positive and
kind spirit.
- Ninety-eight percent of our retail
comment cards rating us excellent.
- Ninety-nine percent of heating and
air conditioning comment cards rating
us excellent.
- The Winston-Salem Hampton Inn
employee going to get an elderly couple’s
medicine when they had no transportation.
- The home office folks building a
Habitat House because they wanted to — not because they had to.
- Record giving to the United Way
with over 80% participation — because we
believe in giving back.
- The countless volunteer hours with
mission trips, random, and other acts of
kindness on a daily basis by all of you.
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Graham Bennett, President
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Jim Slate, who has been with Quality
Oil for 51 years, taught me long ago that a
blind man can feel a company’s culture
when he walks in the door. This is so true.
Each of you does it naturally as we all
strive to live by our Core Ideology every
day — fundamentally because it is who
we are.
- Graham Bennett
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Tim Lowman – Senior VP, Quality Marts
 Tim Lowman grew up in StonyPoint, N.C. Until he was in the
ninth grade, he lived with his
great grandparents on their farm.
Hard work and long hours were a
way of life. When asked what his
particular job was on the farm,
Tim replied, “all of them.”
Tim has many good childhood
memories. A funny memory was
how he and his brother or friends
would tie a snow sledding saucer
to a chain … the chain to a cow … and then “encourage” the cow
to run. Does that surprise any of you who know Tim?
He has kinder, gentler childhood memories too — like the piles
of quilts he slept under as a kid to keep warm in the winter in the
old farmhouse and the running back to his great grandparents’
house when he didn’t want to go to school in the first grade.
After high school, Tim and a friend spent fourteen months
living in Florida doing odd jobs, such as working as a lifeguard.
He recalls calling his dad asking for money to help him get home
from Florida and his dad telling him that he didn’t pay to get him
there and wasn’t going to pay his way home.
Tim did manage to make it home and began working for Thomas & Howard Food Distributors. He had been there for six
years when he interviewed with Quality Oil for a supervisor’s job
in Statesville. That job fell through, but a little while later he was
approached about a job as a service station supervisor. He got the
job on Friday and reported to work on Monday.
Tim came to Winston-Salem with nowhere to live and
absolutely no knowledge of the city and territory he would cover.
He said he found one location at a time. When he left each station,
they would give him directions to the next one and so on until he
had covered them all. Tim has now been with Quality Oil
Company for twenty-three years.
Tim and his wife Linda have been married since 1985. Their
first date was when he was 16 years old and she was 14. They have
two sons. Nick is 19 and attends Duke University, where he is
majoring in math and earth science. Travis, age 16, is an honor
student in his junior year at Glenn High School. He excels in
baseball and track as well as academics.
Tim has coached AAU baseball for nine years and will work as
the coach of the Greensboro Spirits baseball team this summer. A
favorite pastime of his is being on his tractor, working on his land
and in his yard.
— Annette Wagoner
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Saluting QOC Vice Presidents
Meet our Quality Oil Company vice presidents! They are a vital part of the unique engine that turns the wheels
of Quality Oil and its many divisions.
QOC vice presidents include (left to right) Carol Holt, Information
Systems; Buddy Jenkins, Reliable Tank Line Operations; Harry Alexander,
Technology; Rob Hill, Hotel Operations; Tracy Harmon, Human
Resources; Kim Williamson, Corporate Training and Hotel Sales; and
Danny Brown, Service Station Operations. |
Buddy Jenkins — VP, Reliable Tank Line. Buddy has
six years of service with Quality. He is responsible for
Reliable Tank Line's day-to-day operations keeping
approximately sixty tanker trucks on the road. WOW!
Rob Hill — VP, Hotel Operations. Soon hotel number
eight will come under his wing … or should we say
"roof." He has been with QOC for six years.
Carol Holt — VP, Information Systems. Carol has been
with the company for twenty-two years and has seen many
changes in technology. No more carbon paper. She makes
sure all systems are GO!
Harry Alexander — VP, Technology. Harry has twentyseven
years with Quality. He keeps point-of-sale
equipment humming at the company’s retail outlets.
Tracy Harmon — VP, Human Resources.
She has twenty years with Quality Oil. She
manages 401K/profit sharing and workers'
comp and takes care of close to one thousand
employees, which keeps her very busy.
Kim Williamson — VP, Corporate Training
and Hotel Sales ...or the "QTR" lady. Kim has
been with the company for four years. She
makes work FUN!
Danny Brown — the auto guru. VP,
Service Station Operations. He has twelve
years of service with QOC.
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Fuel Oil Contest Winner
Irene Studevant accepts a $1,400 gift card
from Danny Stroud of Quality Oil
Company. The gift card was awarded
through the joint effort of Quality Oil and
the North Carolina Petroleum Marketers.
Mrs. Studevant received a contest entry
form with her fuel oil delivery. She filled it
out and entered the contest. Her name was
drawn from thousands of names all over
the state.
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The Inn is Always Open
It seems that no matter
who you are, the inn is
always open at QOC. A
mama dove made a home
for her growing family on
the battery box of an old,
retired Reliable Tank Line
tractor that is stored at
headquarters in
Winston-Salem, NC.
Mama and her twins are doing fine! |
Congratulations, Shelby QP
Don and Melvin Bolton at Shelby Quality Plus in Shelby, NC received
a certificate from the City of Shelby for the outstanding appearance of
their location and the beautiful American flag they fly. |
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Reliable Tank Line — Safe Driving Awards
Reliable Tank Line presented safe driving awards to twenty-one drivers at their recent safety meetings. These drivers completed one
year without any accidents, spills, or mixes. To drive all year without any mistakes is very commendable, considering each driver
averages hauling twelve hundred loads per year. Way to go, Reliable drivers!
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Hotel Coaches Corner Training Session
On March 29 and 30, the
newest members of the Hotel
Coaches Team attended a Train the
Trainer Session in Atlanta, Ga. The
Coaches Corner is a comprehensive
program that provides information and
resources on recruiting, interviewing,
hiring, retention, and most importantly,
the QTR Way.
The group was energetic and
excited as they prepared to use their
knowledge to strengthen the QTR
culture back at their hotels. |
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(Left to right) Marta Daygte, Executive Housekeeper — Hampton Inn & Suites, Raleigh/Cary; Kim Williamson, VP, QTR Training;
Andrina Thomas, AGM — Homewood Suites, Lawrenceville, GA; Erika Stephens, Executive Housekeeper — Homewood Suites,
Lawrenceville, GA; Izella Robinson, Executive Housekeeper — Hampton Inn, Columbia, SC; Sonia Rios, Executive Housekeeper —
Hampton Inn, Lawrenceville, GA; David Shephard, Area Manager — Lawrenceville, GA; Carrie Hayes, AGM — Hampton Inn,
Columbia, SC; Susan McDaniel, AGM — Hampton Inn, Christiansburg, VA; William Pittman, Sr. VP — Hotels.
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Quality Commercial Fleet Fueling Program
Saving time and money with Volume Discounts, Security,
Control, and Reliability — these are the reasons for the
Quality Fleet Fueling Program. Construction companies, car
dealerships, hotels, churches, and other large fleet users are
eligible to sign up for this program. The Commercial Fleet
Fueling program is a growing part of Quality Oil. Between
January 2004 and January 2007, Fleet Fueling grew from 228
accounts to 572 —151% growth!!!
With more than 40 sign-ups, Harrison Galloway, the
manager at Burnsville QP, says it’s all about making people
aware of this program and the benefits for their company. He
advertises on the building, at the pumps, at the pay window,
on credit card receipts, and most importantly, by word of
mouth. He says the top selling points for this program are the
once-a-month billing and volume discounts. People want to
save money and have the convenience of a monthly bill. So get
involved, assist in the growth of this program, and earn cash.
You may wonder what this means for you. When you see
a commercial vehicle fueling at one of our locations, tell the
driver about our Fleet Fueling program. Each employee who
turns in a Fleet Fueling application that is approved will
receive an incentive check in the amount of $20.00. Customers
can pick up applications at our Quality Plus or Quality Mart
locations or apply on-line at www.qocnc.com.
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Harrison Galloway and Shelly Cole at Burnsville, NC Quality
Plus participate in the Fleet Fueling program. |
Quality Oil Company, LLC
PO Box 2736
Winston-Salem, NC 27102
336.722.3441
FAX 336.721.9527
We welcome your suggstions. You may email them to bfoster@qocnc.com
Quality Oil Newsletter Committee:
Brenda Foster, Administrative Assistant
Annette Wagoner, Purchasing Agent
Danny Brown, V.P. Service Stations
Haywood Stroupe, Sales Supervisor
William Pittman, Senior V.P. Hotel Operations
Lisa Dodson, Accounting
Jamie Westmoreland, Operations Office Manager
Nancy Puckett, Administrative Assistant
Kim Williamson, V.P. Corp. Training & Hotel Sales
Shawn Cline, Safety and Loss Manager
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