selection • excellent service • free delivery • DISCOUNT PRICES
FILL UP con't from p. 10
of
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Lois Jean
Purvis Mid-State Furniture
403 Monroe Street • Carthage • (910) 947-3739
Introducing
a new line
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with
Smith
Brothers
of Berne.
With the recent storms, news of gas
shortages, and winter storms on their way, I seek
to understand the big picture. Frank explains,
“Normally everybody drives a routine. You fill
up your tank today; I’ll fill mine tomorrow;
Davis the next day; your neighbor the next; then
it’s time for you to go again. Well, what happens
during storms is everybody fills up their car up
at the same time which sucks the inventory out
of the stations. Once they’re out; they’re out.
For those evacuating hurricanes and needing
more gas, the volume gets depleted. From the
infrastructure, to the logistics, once you get
behind, it exacerbates the supply.”
“Now, once the storm blows through, those
who evacuated start heading back. My brother
who works with Duke Energy, said they drove
down I-95 to Florida at 20 miles an hour with
traffic jam delays. Who else is going 20 miles an
hour? The tankers trying to get gasoline to those
in need. Instead of being able to hustle, they’re
trickling down the road.”
“What hurts our area is when storms hit
Baton Rouge or Houston, major refineries in the
US. They’ll close down the refinery and crank up
once the storms blow through. However if the
power lines get knocked down, then they can’t
get the power needed to pump the pipelines
or power the pump stations, and the terminals
start running out. When the pipeline, which
normally runs full capacity gets shut down, it
cannot recover quickly. Once you get behind, it’s
hard to catch up.”
As to gas prices going up, Frank enriches,
“Gasoline and heating oil are commodities
traded on the mercantile exchange in New York
just like coffee and orange juice. For instance
when there is a freeze in Florida, traders know
the supply of oranges is going to decrease, so
traders start buying, and the price goes up.
Same thing with gasoline. Once things settle, gas
prices come down.”
As fuel prices fluctuate, homeowners can
save money on fuel costs with a few updates.
For starters older homes need better insulation.
The most important place to have nice, thick
insulation is in your attic; if you’ve got attic
space, then insulate it. One way to tell you’ve
got good insulation is if you have snow on
your roof after a snowstorm. If everybody’s got
snow on their roof, and one house doesn’t, then
their heat is escaping. Davis adds, “Another
important energy cost saver would be to update
with efficient windows.”
For decades, oil was cheap. Frank
acknowledges, “When I started, fuel oil cost 16
cents a gallon. In the 20s, it was eight cents a
gallon. In the early 70s when the Arab countries
formed OPEC, the prices went up in the winter
of ’73 and continued to climb. Today it is cheaper
to install an electric heat pump rather than an
oil furnace; however oil is the most comfortable
heat. Oil furnaces are excellent as warm air
comes from the registers; with heat pumps, the
air comes out cool. My dad still has the same
furnace he installed in his house in 1955.”
There aren’t many old school distributors
The 4th Biennial
& Custom Fit still servicing locals. Honored to be a part of
the local scene, Davis tells, “I’m proud of how
involved we are in the community. Frank’s been
the Mayor of Aberdeen. We’re members of the
Lion’s Club, attend church and raise our families
here. I coached the same softball team for ten
years; that was a lot of fun! As a company we’ve
sponsored the Moore Buddies Golf Tournament
for 21 years and raised over $350,000. We’re very
blessed to live in this community.” Frank adds,
“This is home; we want to see it prosper.”
Being part owners at McNeill offers flexibility
for both family and community involvement.
Davis agrees, “We’re very family-oriented.
With two daughters at ECU, Davis also has a
Sophomore and Junior at Pinecrest. Previously
my wife homeschooled the girls, and upon
transferring to traditional school, they have
done very well.” Frank adds, “Yes, flexibility as
you’re your own boss; the flip side is—it’s your
business. When 5 o’clock comes, and the job
isn’t done, you stay on. At night when you get a
call presenting problems, you get up and solve
the issue.”
In the customer service business, McNeill
Oil is about relationships, customers, and
community. Independently owned and
operated, Mac’s is not part of a national chain.
Frank confirms, “We are a small company in
this industry. The store across from us on US #1
is part of a two or three thousand store chain.
With consolidation, the players get bigger and
bigger. Used to, you would have a little savings
and loan in every town; now we have big chains
everywhere.”
As Moore County values local business,
business owners enjoy certain favorites about
Moore. Davis smiles, “My wife and I play in the
Moore Brass Quintet—I the tuba, she the French
horn. We also accompany the Moore County
Choral Society which is a lot of fun. When you’re
playing music, you’re not worried about who’s
going to work second shift at the store! Playing
music and fishing! I like saltwater fishing down
at the coast. My family appreciates locally
owned places like Beef Eaters and Squires Pub.”
In thinking about favorites, Frank smiles,
“I enjoy playing golf, but I play very little. My
favorite course is probably Southern Pines
Country Club offering a really neat layout. I love
attending the football games at Pinecrest and
at Appalachian. As to favorite NFL team—the
Panthers. It was the Colts until 1984, when they
moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis. Most
people in North Carolina were Redskin fans
until the Panthers came to town.”
Family owned and operated, McNeill Oil
and Propane serves our community as the
mission flows down the pipeline realizing, “Our
customer is the reason we exist. Our image
and service will be second to none. Our futures
depend on it. Our people are the key to success.
All employees will have an opportunity to
reach their greatest potential. We will treat one
another with honesty and respect. We will seek
innovative ways to be the leader in our industry.
By doing so, we will provide a reasonable return
on owner’s investment.”
With a strong family heritage, established
reputation, and renewed vision, McNeill stands
ready to top off its customers with dependable
local delivery and convenient store service. Fill
up all year long with McNeill Oil and Propane.
For more info, see ad p. 29.
As family & friends, Frank & Davis serve.
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FILL UP continued
FILL UP continued
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ORTHOTICS &
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Supporting the Sandhills Since 1981.
95 Aviemore Dr., Pinehurst
www.oandpofpinehurst.com
295.4489
OF PINEHURST
Custom Fabricated
Pinehurst Chocolate Festival
Date: February 10, 2018
Hours: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: Pinehurst United Methodist Church
4111 Airport Road
Pinehurst, NC 28374
Phone: 910-215-0557
Website: Pinehurst UMC/chocolatefestival
Free Admission
2018 Three Beneficiaries:
The Bethany House • Moore Free Clinic
p.26 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 129 Prancing Horse Center
/www.oandpofpinehurst.com