2015 Year in Review: Top Stories in Research and Education

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

who frontpage

member frontpage

Join a Community that Champions, Connects, and Elevates!

Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

As 2015 comes to a close, we took an opportunity to look back at what sparked our readers’ interest this past year on the Voice of Food Retail blog. We’ll present the top blog posts across categories over the next few days. Thank you for reading and please subscribe to the Voice of Food Retail blog for more relevant content in 2016! As the first installment, we look at our most popular posts related to FMI’s signature research and education. A common theme remains operational performance; putting in place the right people and resources to stay ahead.

By: Kelli Windsor, Manager, Member and Digital Communications, Food Marketing Institute <img src="http://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/best-of-2015-fmi-library.jpg?sfvrsn=0" data-displaymode="Original" alt="Best of 2015 FMI Library " title="Best of 2015 FMI Library " style="float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px;" /> As 2015 comes to a close, we took an opportunity to look back at what sparked our readers’ interest this past year on the <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog">Voice of Food Retail blog</a>. We’ll present the top blog posts across categories over the next few days. Thank you for reading and please <a href="http://www.fmi.org/users_only/mailinglist/MailingListFormPublic/subscriptions">subscribe</a> to the Voice of Food Retail blog for more relevant content in 2016!   As the first installment, we look at our most popular posts related to FMI’s signature research and education. A common theme remains operational performance; putting in place the right people and resources to stay ahead. <h4><a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/research">Top Research Blogs</a></h4> <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2015/08/12/new-coordinates-on-fmi-s-map-of-food-retail-worries" style="line-height: 1.5;">New Coordinates on FMI’s Map of Food Retail Worries</a> Each year, FMI’s The <a href="http://www.fmi.org/groceryspeaks">Food Retailing Industry Speaks</a>’ report captures the top concerns confronting the food retail industry in a popular feature called the Worry Index.  This list is more than a simple list of current industry issues, as it is also something of an anxiety GPS, tracking the emotional state of the industry. The 2015 top ten list of worries (reflecting their impact in 2014) saw a few traditional anxieties lose intensity, some old concerns return and some new alarms surface.  This year’s top concerns include the following. <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2015/04/14/top-5-food-retail-fmi-library-treasures">Top 5 Food Retail FMI Library Treasures</a> In honor of National Library Week, we’re celebrating the <a href="http://prestohost23.inmagic.com/Presto/home/home.aspx">FMI Library</a> and showcasing some of the food retail treasures in the collection. Here are our top five food retail treasures in the FMI Library. <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/education"></a> <h4><a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/education">Top Education Blogs</a></h4> <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2015/10/15/getting-ahead-in-food-retail">Getting Ahead in Food Retail</a> According to the <a href="http://www.dol.gov/">U.S. Department of Labor</a>, 68 percent of U.S. jobs by 2018—including the grocery industry—will require a credential, if not a degree. That’s significant when you consider that according to <a href="http://www.census.gov/2010census/">2010 Census Bureau</a> data only 30 percent of adults ages 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher and for those working in the grocery industry that number drops to only 14 to 20 percent. <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2015/05/18/10-stand-out-supermarket-store-managers">10 Stand-Out Supermarket Store Managers</a> This year, we received 98 nominations for the FMI Store Manager Awards and are pleased to share with you the following 10 finalists. These exceptional store managers will attend FMI Connect, where the winners will be announced during the annual FMI Speaks presentation on Wednesday morning, June 10.  <a href="http://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2015/11/23/strategic-executive-exchange-q-a-with-awg-s-steve-arnold">Strategic Executive Exchange: Q&A with AWG’s Steve Arnold</a> Steve Arnold, executive vice president of marketing with Associated Wholesale Grocers offers his perspective on how AWG lays the groundwork for business building opportunities during the Strategic Executive Exchange (SEE) and the <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/ABC2016" style="line-height: 1.5;">Annual Business Conference</a> (ABC) meetings. Don’t miss out on the latest. <a href="http://www.fmi.org/users_only/mailinglist/MailingListFormPublic/subscriptions">Subscribe to the Voice of Food Retail blog</a> through our database or download the <a href="http://www.fmi.org/news-room/fmi-news-app">FMI News App</a>.

Read full article on FMI

Menus

Some of the main menus of the template are now set via the template parameters saving you having to set up menu modules for each menu. From this section you can choose what menus you would like connected with these pre assigned menu areas of the template.

Copyright Information

Enter the copyright information that will appear in the footer area of your template.

Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.