Essential Jobs: Building Resilience through Private-Public Partnerships

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.

Our industry has risen to the occasion and managed the challenges that have emerged during this national emergency. The grocery industry and the food supply chain that supports it have worked tirelessly to keep food available to American customers during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of tremendous challenges.

By Leslie Sarasin, President and CEO, FMI  <div class="mg-image--circular" style="float: right; margin: 10px;"><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/grocery-worker-during-covid.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=a3124868_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="grocery worker during covid" title="grocery worker during covid" /></div> Nine in 10 registered voters consider food supply chain workers — grocery store workers (93%), agricultural and food production workers (90), and farm workers (89%) —"essential” amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a <a href="https://www.idfa.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IDFA-Morning-Consult-Essential-Worker-Poll-Analysis-072020.pdf">new survey performed by Morning Consult for the International Dairy Foods Association</a>. The survey further states that a strong majority of registered voters support offering temporary tax relief to essential workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, our industry has risen to the occasion and managed the challenges that have emerged during this national emergency. The grocery industry and the food supply chain that supports it have worked tirelessly to keep food available to American customers during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of tremendous challenges. Like most Americans, we at FMI support the FRNT LINE Act because it appropriately recognizes these efforts and gives our associates well-deserved tax relief for their commitment to ensuring that grocery stores are open and stocked continuously during this national emergency. We greatly appreciate Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) leadership on this important legislation. At the start of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that our industry had a “special responsibility” to maintain a regular work schedule. As a result, FMI members have remained open and staffed, serving the public while taking unprecedented measures to do so. Our members are dedicated to protecting public health, taking measures to mitigate the risk of infection among their associates and customers. Proactively, grocery stores have marked six-foot intervals in stores; installed barriers when possible; limited the number of customers in stores simultaneously; turned some store aisles in to one-way passages; reminded customers of social distancing via in-store announcements, signage and even t-shirts in some areas; expanded pickup and delivery services when possible; closed stores early for overnight cleaning and stocking when conditions warranted; and practiced federally-approved cleaning and sanitization methods in warehouses and facilities over hundreds of hours. In real-time, grocers and their supply chain partners have had to rewrite their playbooks on crisis response. We had a special responsibility to do so, but it takes the right partners in government and across the private sector working together to be successful. I recently participated in an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that highlighted the collaboration required among private, public, and nonprofit sectors to help mitigate the effects of all disasters. The live session was moderated by Director, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Christopher Krebs, and included FMI, Edison Electric Institute, and the American Trucking Associations. We explored the process of classifying essential jobs to ensure the continuity of services critical to response efforts. You can re-watch the session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1h56KzYXg&feature=youtu.be">here on YouTube</a>. I am grateful for the leadership demonstrated by FMI’s member companies and the commitment of their dedicated workforce to ensure families have continued to have access to food during this unprecedented emergency. I hope you will join our efforts to support tax relief for our industry’s heroes by <a href="https://p2a.co/jleFcUC">writing to Congress today</a> to express your support for the FRNT LINE Act.

Read full article on FMI

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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.