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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-04-11, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013. PAGE 7. Sparling’s Propane President and CEO Steven Sparling says that the April 2 announcement that Sparling’s had been purchased by Parkland Fuel Corporation is a historic opportunity for growth that’s going to mean great things for all involved. In an interview with The Citizen last week, Sparling says some question the company’s intentions and future directions, but he says the future couldn’t be more positive. The plan, as stated in the company’s April 2 press release and reiterated by Sparling, is “business as usual” with the Sparling’s name, branding, technology, facilities and employees all remaining right where they were prior to the announcement. In fact, he says, there are plans for rapid expansion into markets Sparling’s has never seen before, that are already underway. The expansion, Sparling says, will mean the construction of new facilities, the acquisition of companies and a market share in eastern Canada, all moves that will bear the Sparling’s name. As far as specifics surrounding the moves, Sparling couldn’t comment, but said that there are plenty of exciting announcements in the works. “Parkland wants David [Sparling, vice-president and chief operating officer, and Steven’s brother] and me to lead that expansion,” Sparling said. “We’re not going anywhere. The company is in great shape, it has been growing and this is something we can feel good about.” Sparling says that there was no urgency for the company to make a move, there are no health concerns for anyone on the management team or any push to sell, other than that a “remarkable” opportunity came about at the right time for the company, he says, its employees and the Sparling family. Sparling says that it was humbling to hear that Parkland Fuel, a publically-traded company worth billions of dollars, was intent on keeping Steven and David at the head of the propane enterprise, but that if Parkland was approaching the deal with a “gut it and shut it” approach, there was no chance Sparling’s would have sold. “Parkland has a very robust leadership team with very ambitiousplans,” Sparling said. “So it’sgratifying and humbling to think that our management team can make a contribution to their overall corporate strategy.” While Sparling acknowledges that such an arrangement is a pat on the back for both him and David, as well as the company’s leadership team, he also adds that it’s just good business from Parkland Fuel’s point of view as well. “They’re smart enough to know what they don’t know,” Sparling says, “and that’s a credit to them.” He says that often large companies make acquisitions and attempt to run their new operations alone, rather than deferring to people who have been involved in the industry for decades. The deal with Parkland Fuel, he says, is a “win-win-win” where it will serve to make both sides stronger, rather than an acquisition to increase market share. The only change to the company’s day-to-day activities, Sparling says, will be the difference between a private enterprise and a public one. As a publically-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Parkland Fuel has to remain transparent and produce regular reports and disclosure statements for the public, something that Sparling’s will now have to do. Over the years, Sparling says, Sparling’s has produced such reports, but they were kept private, in keeping with the common practices of a private company. That’s the only difference employees will see to their day-to-day activities, Sparling says. In addition, Sparling says, Parkland Fuel’s stock price has risen since its acquisition of Sparling’s. Sparling says Sparling’s will retain its own identity, branding, technology and employees under the Parkland Fuel umbrella and when the time comes that members of the Sparling family retire and pass the torch to a new leadership team, the Sparling’s name will live on, he says. The business had always been set up to be two-generational by design, so he knew this day would come sooner or later, Sparling says. As part of the process, he ran the idea by his father, Sparling’s founder Grant, who was completely in favour of it. Because of the importance of the announcement, Sparling says hewanted every employee of thecompany, across its many different Ontario branches, to hear the news in the same exact way, at the same exact time. Meetings were held at 6:30 a.m. on April 2 with several regional managers and at 7:30 a.m. meetings were held with all of the company’s employees, at several different locations, where the exact same statement was read to all of them. As a former Blyth councillor and a champion for the community, Sparling says that the community was one of his biggest concerns while he was going through this process. “We wanted to do the right thing for folks in the community. This is home for us,” Sparling said. Parkland first approached Sparling’s in April, 2012, Sparling said, when any discussion of apurchase was turned down. It wasearlier this year that a deal began to be seriously discussed. The move comes, Sparling says, as a result of a changing landscape in the world of energy across Ontario and all of Canada. He said that someone had to step up in Canada and that Parkland Fuel has done that with the help of Sparling’s. “There’s a shift going on in the conversation on the future of energy in Canada,” Sparling says. “People are looking for clean, less expensive energy.” Sparling says that people are becoming less inclined to use fuel oil and are looking to gas (propane and natural gas) for conventional purposes such as home heating, but also to be used in new ways, such as power generation for rural communities and mining operations in northern Ontario communitiesand eventually vehicle fuelconversion. Sparling said the market in Canada was prime for expansion and Parkland Fuel has taken advantage. Parkland is Canada’s largest independent marketer and distributor of fuel products, based in Alberta. “To step up, they needed not just the financial capital, but the human capital as well,” Sparling said. As one of its annual traditions, Sparling’s holds a series of staff spring luncheons throughout April, the first of which was on April 4. Sparling says the timing couldn’t have been better. The luncheons consist of a meal and a look back on the year’s worth of business. He says this is a perfect time for the business, and its employees, to reflect on where they’ve been and where they’re going. Huron County Council officially passed its budget and presented it to the public for the first time at its April 3 meeting. Deputy-Treasurer Nancy Rennick presented a slideshow to council, a link to which can be found on The Citizen’s website at www.northhuron.on.ca, laying out the details of the county’s budget with nearly $86 million in annual operating revenue. In one of the presentation’s first slides, Rennick broke down the revenue by its source. Forty-two per cent of the county’s money comes from total taxation, 38 per cent comes from provincial grants, seven per cent comes from fees and service charges, three per cent comes from federal grants and nine per cent comes from other sources of revenue for a total of $85,935,301. The capital budget consists of just over $15 million, $10.3 million of which is dedicated to the Public County officially approves budget Sale means expansion, good things for Sparling’s That’s not a lone hand The Auxiliary to Clinton Public Hospital held one of its annual Card Cavalcade events at the Blyth Legion on April 4. The event, which included dessert, coffee and tea as well as the opportunity to buy raffle tickets was one of five stops for the fundraiser including events in Auburn, Clinton and Bayfield. Shown playing are, from left, Lorna Ellis, Pat Hunking, Lois Wise and Lillian Appleby. (Denny Scott photo) 104 Pine St., Wingham 519-357-3712 FRIDAY, APRIL 12 9 am - 5:30 pm Brophy Tire One Day Only Featuring & 1st Annual PUBLIC NOTICE RE: 2013 Municipality of Central Huron Budget The 2013 Municipality of Central Huron Budget will be presented for consideration and adoption at the Regular Meeting of Council, Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, REACH 169 Beech Street, Clinton, Ontario. Municipal website: www.centralhuron.com Brenda MacIsaac, Clerk Municipality of Central Huron By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen Get wedding advice and tips, see a case study and read about local brides on the Brides in Huron section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 24