2016: The Year of the Monkey, SQF to the Rescue

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

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

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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.

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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.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2016 was the year of the monkey. One could fairly say that there was a monkey on our stakeholders’ back this year, and its name was FSMA. Sorting through FDA’s Final Rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a time consuming, often frustrating and frequently confusing task. To help SQFI stakeholders better understand the legal and regulatory complexities of FSMA, SQFI compiled a FSMA Resource page to assist our stakeholders as they worked toward compliance.

By: Robert Garfield, Senior Vice President, <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/">Safe Quality Food Institute</a> (SQFI) <img src="http://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/chinese-year-of-the-monkey.tmb-large-350-.png?sfvrsn=1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Chinese Year of the Monkey" title="Chinese Year of the Monkey" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> According to the Chinese calendar, 2016 was the year of the monkey.  One could fairly say that there was a monkey on our stakeholders’ back this year, and its name was FSMA.  Sorting through FDA’s Final Rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a time consuming, often frustrating and frequently confusing task.  To help SQFI stakeholders better understand the legal and regulatory complexities of FSMA, SQFI compiled a <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/suppliers/fsma-resource-page/">FSMA Resource page</a> to assist our stakeholders as they worked toward compliance.  To further assist our stakeholders, a comparison analysis between the elements of SQF Level 2 Certification and the Final Preventive Controls for Human Food and Produce Safety rules was conducted.  Our analysis indicated that being SQF Level 2 certified provided a robust and solid starting point on the arduous journey of complying with the FSMA final rules.   SQFI also developed a voluntary <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/suppliers/fsma-resource-page/">Preventive Controls audit checklist</a> and a <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/wp-content/uploads/PC-SQF-Guidance-Final.pdf">complementary guidance document</a> to assist stakeholders with identifying the necessary steps to bridge any gaps between a company’s SQF Program and the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule. This year, SQFI strengthened its technological proficiency by developing a new database program with our new IT partner, <a href="http://repositrak.com/">ReposiTrak</a>.  The new database introduced a number of enhancements including a robust reporting system that permits stakeholders to sort data based on facility performance.  The enhanced features of the database augments SQFI’s ability to monitor certification body (CB) and auditor performance, while providing additional value to retailers and buyers by enabling them to better track the audit performance of their suppliers.  Moreover, the expanded data access further strengthened SQFI’s compliance and integrity programs, a crucial component in the continuous improvement of food safety and quality management systems. <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/forms/meeting/Microsite/SQFConf-2016" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/sqfi-2017-conference.png?sfvrsn=0&MaxWidth=300&MaxHeight=&ScaleUp=false&Quality=High&Method=ResizeFitToAreaArguments&Signature=157DF3369A092805950657F5E10C286F" data-displaymode="Custom" alt="SQFI 2017 Conference" title="SQFI 2017 Conference" style="float: left; margin: 10px;" data-method="ResizeFitToAreaArguments" data-customsizemethodproperties="{'MaxWidth':'300','MaxHeight':'','ScaleUp':false,'Quality':'High'}" /></a>2016 was a record breaking year regarding attendance at the <a href="http://www.sqfconference.com/">SQF International Conference.</a>  SQFI joined forces with the FMI Food Safety group to demonstrate our 365-degree, farm-to-fork food safety management system. This year’s SQF Conference featured a dedicated retail food safety track that provided updates on retail food safety issues, encouraged dialogue between retailers and suppliers, and communicated best practices and food safety solutions for retail operation of all sizes.  Additionally, SQF Conference participants received a preview of the benefits of Edition 8 of the SQF Code including our Retail/Wholesale Grocery Program- scheduled for rollout in late March of 2017.  We are happy to announce that FMI Food Safety will be a part of the program for the 2017 SQF Conference, so plan now to join us in Dallas, TX, November 5-7, 2017! We look forward to 2017, the Chinese year of the rooster, and anticipate fulfilling the characteristics of that dawn announcing creature by continuing our hard work, resourcefulness and passion to be the single most trusted source for global food safety and quality certification. Visit <a href="http://www.sqfi.com/">www.sqfi.com</a> for more information. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/epicfireworks/24482854366">Photo Credit: Epic Fireworks via Flickr</a>

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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.