Hurricane Florence: What’s the Status of Your Stores?

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.

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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.

We need your support to ensure our supply chain can respond and stabilize. As soon as physically possible, please contact FMI via our crisis resources page to alert us on the status of your stores. With this basic information, we can work together to speed up the government’s response time to get food, water and other commodities to communities in need.

By Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, Food Marketing Institute <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/hurricane-florence-friday.tmb-large-350-.png?sfvrsn=498e416e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Hurricane Florence Friday" title="Hurricane Florence Friday" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> Hurricane Florence’s impact are still developing factors over the next several hours, but during this time, it’s critical to assess what may hinder your ability to restore capacity to your stores. We need your support to ensure our supply chain can respond and stabilize. As soon as physically possible, <a href="https://www.fmi.org/government-affairs/state-affairs/issue-papers/view/state-affairs-issue-papers/2018/09/12/2018-natural-disaster-updates">please contact FMI via our crisis resources page</a> to alert us on the status of your stores. With this basic information, we can work together to speed up the government’s response time to get food, water and other commodities to communities in need. Weights, tolls, driver hours, waivers, access and reentry procedures (e.g., store or warehouse food safety inspections) are all limiting factors during a natural disaster, which is why FMI has organized all the federal, state, local and private sector management to help communicate an effective response and recovery effort. The website has specific information related to: <ul> <li>Store status form;</li> <li>Business-to-business solutions through the National Business Emergency Operations Center dashboard, which has a chat function for you to ask the professional community life-saving and life-sustaining operations questions;</li> <li>Private sector liaison map; and</li> <li>Curfew and reentry information.</li> </ul> Finally, remember to plan for a scenario where you don’t have power: Print out your private sector liaison map; save a hard copy of contacts at FEMA, state and city emergency; and you should have already established a phone tree within your own organization. <a href="https://www.fmi.org/government-affairs/state-affairs/issue-papers/view/state-affairs-issue-papers/2018/09/12/2018-natural-disaster-updates">Thank you for providing the information</a> that enables us to be of greater assistance. While our hearts and thoughts are with you during this time of emergency, we also want to send more than just hopeful wishes – we want to send tangible help. <a href="https://www.fmi.org/government-affairs/state-affairs/issue-papers/view/state-affairs-issue-papers/2018/09/12/2018-natural-disaster-updates" class="button-secondary">Hurricane Resources and Information</a> <a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/crisis-continuity/store-location-for-aid-form" class="button">Store Status Form</a> Photo credit: <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/093211.shtml?cone#contents" target="_blank">National Hurricane Center</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.