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June 17, 2021
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 Inside this issue
  Executive Directors Message  
 


FUEL YOUR WAY NEW JERSEY MEETING: REGISTER TODAY!

MONMOUTH COUNTY NEW HIRE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM RANSOMWARE THREATS

NJGCA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION - NOW ONLINE

NJGCA CENSUS: PLEASE RESPOND

NEW COVID-19 GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS

 

FUEL YOUR WAY MEETING

For the last several weeks as the state gets back into its pre-pandemic routines, we have listened to countless members tell us their difficulties with hiring employees to work for them. We know hiring and employment issues in general continue to get worse through the years and we know you know this as well. In response, we have put together an event to address a solution to employment issues in our state, bringing fueling choice to New Jersey. We have formed a group called Fuel Your Way NJ (FYWNJ) coalition to finally bring an option fueling model to New Jersey. This is a fight we can win, but we need your help.

If you support allowing self serve in New Jersey or are interested in learning more about what we hope to see happen with the passing of legislation, please email Michelle at michelle@njgca.org with your interest in attending. 

 

NEW HIRE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

This may be great for shops looking for technicians.  Related to the issue above with obtaining employees, if your business is located in Monmouth county the county has announced its "New Hire Incentive Program" for businesses that are struggling to hire employees. The program will reimburse employers 50 percent of a new employee's wages up to $10,000 to offset the costs of hiring a qualifying new employee for a contract period of 12 or 26 weeks. They will also help you find employees if you are in need of assistance. If you are interested in learning more, contact Don Miragliotta at Donald.Miragliotta@dol.nj.gov, or call 732-683-8850 x5511. At the moment this looks to only be offered in Monmouth County, but if it opens up elsewhere we will be sure to report that in the next newsletter. 

 

RANSOMWARE THREATS

We continue to read about ransomware threats that target crucial industries to our daily lives: hospitals, water, food, transport, and even gas, as we saw recently with the Colonial Pipeline hacking. The hackers are able to target vulnerable infrastructure and gaps in security systems and are able to shut down industries in order to get the payout they are looking for. If you think that because they are able to shut down big operations like a pipeline that little guys like us are safe, think again! Hackers will go for any vulnerability they can find in order to achieve their payday and small businesses are not immune. In fact, ransomware attacks on smaller businesses continue to rise throughout the country, with the Director of Homeland Security claiming small businesses comprise approximately one-half to three-quarters of the victims of ransomware.  We have heard from members that they were hacked and had to pay a ransom to get their data returned. 

If you do not currently have measures in place to protect yourself, you need to be looking into this immediately to protect yourself and your customers. Because of the increase in attacks on small businesses, NJGCA reached out to the New Jersey CyberSecurity & Communications Integration Cell, a branch of the NJ Department of Homeland Security to host a webinar with us on July 14th. We will be discussing some of the larger industry threats as well as the threats our businesses need to keep an eye out for, and solutions for avoiding being hacked. Keep an eye out for that email to register, coming soon. 

 

SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

For our members with college-aged children or employees, take advantage of scholarship money available! We are able to bring the scholarship to your attention thanks to the generosity of the Utica Insurance Company that insures many of our members through the Amato Agency for business liability, as well as the NJGCA Board of Directors that approved a matching amount. Applicants can be a child of a member, an employee of a member, or a child of an employee of the member, and each member may submit one application per membership. You as the business owner and member get to choose the applicant to be submitted. However, to be clear, each membership is only permitted to submit ONE application. There is a total of $10,000 in scholarship money to be distributed. The $5,000 contribution from Utica Insurance must be used for a student who is attending an automotive technical trade school. The NJGCA contribution of $5,000 can be used for a student attending any college, university, or trade school. If you have questions, email michelle@njgca.org.

Our online application is now live! Just click HERE to complete the form. Applications must include the requested transcripts. If you are submitting an online application, please be sure to also submit transcripts before the deadline. Applications must be postmarked or submitted before the application deadline of July 13, 2021, and must be received at NJGCA Headquarters by July 19th, 2021 if sent via mail. Click HERE to view the PRINT application or click HERE to complete the online application. 

 

NJGCA CENSUS

Our census project is underway and if you have not received a call yet, expect a call from someone on the NJGCA staff to update our data. We want to be especially sure we are capturing geographical information in order to contact every legislator that may represent you at both home and business. We also need to be sure we have correct email addresses in order to send you fast and timely information to keep you updated. We want to have every available means to contact members in the event of another emergency such as Superstorm Sandy. We have not updated this information in many years, and having this accurate info will be helpful to us when we communicate with you and legislators. Please be cooperative when you are called. 

In order to make this process as seamless as possible for you, we have also created an online version to complete this information yourself. You are permitted to fill out the information online or wait to be called by staff. Please be sure you are completing the entire survey, as each question contains data that could be used to help persuade legislators.

 

OSHA GUIDANCE

OSHA released guidance around COVID protocols applicable to workplaces other than healthcare settings which include our industries. Highlights of the guidance include offering paid time off to receive vaccinations and recover from side effects, letting sick employees stay home, social distancing for high risk/unvaccinated employees, and providing masks when the situation is appropriate. 

 

Be Well -  

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
 


 

 

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  Training Class Schedule  
 

All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753


Contact Nick De Palma at Nick@njgca.org to inquire about potential trainings and class dates

 

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  News Around The State  
 

6/16/21

Average Age of U.S. Vehicles Rises to 12.1 Years

The average age of light vehicles in operation in the U.S. has risen to 12.1 years, increasing by nearly two months during 2020 and elevated by the COVID-19 pandemic, new research from IHS Markit shows. The rise in average age will further drive vehicle maintenance opportunities from an increasingly older vehicle fleet, the research firm said. COVID-19 and its impact across the U.S. caused a drastic reduction in new vehicle sales, as well as a sudden increase in vehicle scrappage, which was a catalyst for increased velocity in the growth of the average age of light vehicles, IHS Markit said. The pandemic-induced rate of increase in average age is expected to be short-lived, though, as 2021 is expected to bring a return of new vehicle registrations and increased activity in used registrations.
 

6/15/21

N.J. Drivers Might Get A Break In Paying For Reinspections Of Failed Vehicles

Drivers whose vehicles flunked the emissions test at a state inspection station may be spared the cost of being forced to take their vehicle to a private inspection station and pay to have it reinspected, under a proposed rule change by the state Motor Vehicle Commission. The change would give drivers a choice to take their vehicle to an MVC inspection facility at no cost or pay to have it done at a licensed private inspection facility. 

 

6/14/21

Battery-Electric Vehicles Have Lower Scheduled Maintenance Costs than Other Light-Duty Vehicles

The estimated scheduled maintenance cost for a light-duty battery-electric vehicle (BEV) totals 6.1 cents per mile, while a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) totals 10.1 cents per mile. A BEV lacks an ICEV's engine oil, timing belt, oxygen sensor, spark plugs and more, and the maintenance costs associated with them. The hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) and the plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) share costs with both the ICEV and the EV but save money on brake maintenance.
 

6/14/21

Temp Checks, Digital Menus And 'Touchless' Mustard: The Maddening Persistence Of 'Hygiene Theater'

At an ice cream shop in Rockville, Md., gloved servers scoop the frozen treat into cups, but a sign taped to the front window says "No cones: Covid." At McDonald's outlets along I-95 in Virginia, yellow police-style tape cordons off self-serve beverage stations. And at Nationals Park, baseball fans use a QR code and digital menu rather than ordering directly from the person who hands them their hot dog. None of these precautions provide meaningful protection against the spread of the coronavirus, safety experts say. Instead, they are examples of what critics call "hygiene theater," the deployment of symbolic tactics that do little to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but may make some anxious consumers feel safer. (The term is widely credited to Atlantic writer Derek Thompson, who catalogued ineffective but showy anti-covid tactics last summer.) As the covid death rate plummets in America and the number of vaccinations soars, the persistence of these practices is seriously frustrating folks who argue that their vaccinated status should free them from such annoying restrictions.
 

6/10/21

Not a Drill: Inflation Is Here

For the last decade or so, as the nation's debt grew and the Federal Reserve kept pumping money into the financial system, there were periodic warnings about the risk of inflation. Yet these fears were never actually realized. As a result, in the face of growing signs of inflation, many people - including the ones who happen to run our nation's fiscal and monetary policy - aren't taking the current threat all that seriously. This is worrisome, because in reality, a growing body of evidence - major economic indicators and announcements from small and large businesses - suggests that inflation is quite real. Consumer prices leapt 5 percent in May year-over-year after gaining 4.2 percent in April, with some sectors experiencing gains not seen in decades. The growth of the money supply has been off the charts. A survey by NFIB, the largest advocacy group for small businesses, found that 48 percent of businesses reported raising prices, compared with just 5 percent who reported lowering prices - the widest gap since 1981. In addition, Factset found that in the first quarter, more S&P 500 companies brought up inflation in their earnings calls than any other quarter since the data firm began keeping track in 2010.
 

6/10/21

N.Y. Man Arrested For Allegedly Stabbing Gas Station Attendant

Police on Wednesday arrested a New York man for allegedly stabbing a gas station attendant after an argument over his use of a pay pass. On Wednesday, Paramus Police arrested Kevin Reid, 38, of Far Rockaway, New York, and charged him with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon, Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said in a statement.
 

6/10/21

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Ban Styrofoam, Plastic Bags

Colorado lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban the use of Styrofoam and would tax most single-use plastics, reports TheHill.com, and the bill is now on the desk of Gov. Jared Polis. House Bill 1162 will prohibit the use of single-use plastic bags, except in certain situations when each bag will cost the consumer a minimum of 10 cents. Businesses that may continue to use plastic bags include restaurants that prepare or serve food in individual portions or stores that have three or fewer locations in Colorado. Once the ban goes into effect, businesses are permitted to use their remaining stock for a few months without penalty.
 

6/10/21

Employers Lure Applicants With Perks

Companies are offering a range of perks from college scholarships for family members to free food for interviewees in an effort to recruit and sign on new employees. According to the New York Times, employers are going beyond traditional monetary rewards to attract employees in today's tight job market. Reopening the economy has left U.S. companies, especially those in the service sector, hunting for workers. The rise of noncash offerings is a new twist to recruitment. Many large companies find themselves pitted against rivals in the search for employees with similar types of skills and experience.

 

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  Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices  
 

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.
 

 

 

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  Classifieds: For Sale and Help Wanted Ads  
 


Parts For Sale: Incon TS-1000 tank monitor works well just taken out of service. Printer is aprox 2 months old. Also, Incon 8, tank probes. System replaced because on an Exxon upgrade. Call John Twin Towers Exxon (201) 224-8444

 



 

 

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