MFA Oil held its annual managers meeting on July 25 and 26 at Old Kinderhook Resort in Camdenton, Mo. There bulk and propane plant managers, operations managers, district managers and business development personnel convened to focus on “Commitment to the Mission,” which was the meeting’s theme.
The meeting was kicked off by motivational keynote speaker Rob “Waldo” Waldman, a decorated, former F-16 fighter pilot, who shared why we should “never fly solo.”
“You can’t reach your highest potential alone,” Waldman said. “You need wingmen – trusted partners – who can help you overcome obstacles and adapt to change.”
Waldman related key lessons he learned through his 65 combat missions with the Air Force and his career as an entrepreneur to the crowd.
- Commitment to Excellence – Complacency kills business relationships and reputation. Passion, focus and belief in the mission drive success. Don’t let the “missiles” of change and adversity prevent you from giving your all. You can set the tone with your team by leading by example.
- Commitment to the Mission – Fighter pilots don’t fly by the seat of their pants and winning business leaders don’t work that way either. Know your objective, clients, competition, partners and product so that you can prepare relentlessly for your “flight plan”.
- Commitment to the Team – Mutual support provides improved perspective. When wingmen check each other’s six (cross checking behind their most vulnerable position) they can relay unseen threats. “Wingmen have your back and you have theirs,” Waldman said.
Other presentations at the meeting included the following:
- Safety is Accountability – Tom Procter, director of service and safety, discussed the importance of inspections and following precautionary checklists to protect employees and customers.
- Mission Support – Janice Serpico, chief human resources officer, highlighted changes to the company’s benefits and retirement plans, and how managers can use the self-service portal in E1.
- FaceTime with Fenner – Mark Fenner, president and CEO, and Kenny Steeves, vice president of BP/LP operations, provided an update on the RAD projects, outlined their focus on continuous improvement and answered managers questions.
- Roadnet Training – Jenna Wagner, field training administrator, and Larry Ehrman, vice president of logistics, discussed improvements to Roadnet and how it will lead to more efficient routing.
- DSI/Order Suggestion – The team of Lona Wood, functional business analyst; Justin Traub, senior business intelligence developer; Dallas Baker, senior CSR; Paul Samp, dispatch manager; and Tina Ford, field support manager, talked about updates to the K-factor calculation for suggested orders, the importance of correct tank data, how to clean up “dirty data”, the DSI Equipment Management application, invoice at the time of delivery and the order suggestion approval process.
The meeting concluded with a leadership awards presentation for top-performing plant managers, district managers, operations managers, service managers and business development representatives.
Congratulations to all the leadership awards recipients listed below:
Top 5 – Total Net Income
Fred Trowbridge – Columbia, Fulton, Mexico and Paris
Marty Mills – Bowling Green, Marthasville, Perry, Troy, Vandalia and Wright City
Denis Dreiling – Hartville, Mansfield, Marshfield, Ozark, Seymour and Springfield
Kyle Carroll – Emporia, Kan. and Tampa, Kan.
Carla Mathes – Clinton, Harrisonville and Peculiar
Top 5 – Percent Increase in Net Income
Terry McCallie –Carlisle, Ark.; Devalls Bluff, Ark. and Lonoke, Ark.
Dan Schaefer – Macon and Moberly
Andrew Rhoten – Blanchard, Okla. and Duncan, Okla.
Keith Hockings – Forest City, Ark.; Marked Tree, Ark.; Paragould, Ark. and Pocahontas, Ark.
Dave Borofka – Oakland City, Ind. and Odon, Ind.
Top 2 Districts – Total Net Income
Luke Fitzpatrick – West Central
Michael Whitney – Northwest and North Central
Top Salesman – Most New Customers
Larry Plaster – Southwest Missouri, Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma
Top Ops Managers – Highest Average Gallons Hauled Per LP Truck
Jennifer Daggett – West Central
M.G. Behrend – Southeast
Top Service Manager – Safety Accountability Metrics
Bill Jung – Southeast and Mid-South