Beneficial Newsletter – May 2021
Fabulous Five
It is no secret that this past year has been one that most do not want to repeat. However, Beneficial Systems was fortunate to find and hire five wonderful employees right before and during the pandemic. They have gone through the onboarding process remotely and have done a fabulous job. We haven’t even met some of them in person yet. Can you imagine working for a company and never personally meeting your co-workers? It takes a special person, with a great work ethic, to do such a thing. Boy are we happy they said yes!
Teresa Cliborne
Teresa joined the Beneficial Systems’ team for the 2nd time, in March of 2020, one week before COVID hit. She worked for Beneficial Systems 15 years ago before leaving to help run her husband’s Pest Control company. Teresa is a part of our Accounting Department and is our Microsoft Teams guru.
She grew up in Norfolk, VA and moved to Amelia after marrying her husband, who had already lived in the county, 27 years ago. Together, they enjoy spending time in volunteer work. One aspect that is very close to their hearts is Disaster Relief in places such as: Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts. While incredibly hard work, it reminds them to be thankful for what they have and always be there to lend a hand to someone else in need.
Heather Deshetler
Heather has over 20 years’ experience in book-keeping and accounting, with some experience with freight logistics. Heather thrives in organization and structure. When she first joined the team, she was helping our Service Department. Due to her experience and love of numbers and analytics, she now serves as our Controller.
She is happiest spending time with her three children. She was born and raised in rural Central Virginia. Her family enjoys nature and spending as much time as possible outside. Her other hobbies include baking, cooking, crafting, and writing.
Tyler Morris
Tyler was born and raised in Jetersville VA, only about five minutes from the office! He joined our Service Department a few months ago and is quickly running circles around us “older” folks. He will be working in the office, remotely, and making customer visits.
In Tyler’s free time, he enjoys playing video games and watching TV. He also enjoys collecting and selling different collectible items that interest him. He just moved into his first house in Blackstone, VA with his little black cat and is living life to the fullest.
Todd Jennings
Todd joined the team in March of 2021 as our Project Assistant. He brings 15 years of professional experience in the construction, transportation, and environmental industries where he held multiple positions with progressive responsibility.
He is married to his wife, Jessica, and they have one young daughter. Todd earned a BSBA from Longwood University in 2006 and is slated to graduate with an MBA from the University of Lynchburg in July 2021. He is a lifetime member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, farming, home remodeling, and offshore adventures.
Sarah Lane
Sarah was born and raised in Wisconsin (yes, she is a big Green Bay Packers fan!). After college she moved out to Montana and worked as a ski instructor and raft guide. Eventually Sarah got sucked into, as Sarah puts it, “the insurance black hole”; doing everything from WC claims, to marketing and eventually ended up in Portland, Oregon working for a brokerage as a national account manager. Sarah is now our Document Manager.
Sarah also serves as a full-time volunteer, assisting in disaster relief efforts across the country. Sarah and her husband, Eli, now live in South Carolina with their two Pomeranians, Winston and Timmy. They love traveling and exploring the world. Sign her up for anything adventurous!
DFQC Releases Report on Diesel Storage Tanks
The Diesel Fuel Quality Council (DFQC) recently released an article that highlights the best practices to minimize degradation and improve fuel quality. I spoke with Scott Knowles, owner of Petroleum Tec and a member of DFQC, and asked him to give us some insight into DFQC and the reason for the article.
He writes, “The DFQC is run through the Fuels Institute and is made up of 35+ companies that represent the entire diesel fuel industry on the council. We have the refineries all the way down to end users, such as trucking companies, convenient stores, and every trade in-between.
The council was formed to get a total industry view of the issues we face with diesel fuel quality and the need for clean fuel by the OEM’s. We feel the end goal is to help the end user achieve better success with managing their fleet uptime and avoid poor fuel quality in their fleet.
The reason diesel fuel quality is so important today is because today’s diesel engines are far more complicated and run such high injection pressures; the old school diesel would burn just about any fuel.
Today’s fuel injection pressures are around 30,000 to 35,000 PSI, so hard particles of 4 micron and up can wear down injectors and cause inefficient spray patterns, causing more regens, filter clogging, hard cold starts, and over all injection failure.
Therefore, a good fuel and tank maintenance plan to check on site quality should be in place to prevent failure issues before they occur.”
Below is a very brief recap of the twenty four page article. These steps will help the owner reduce repair charges and avoid premature equipment replacements.
FUEL DELIVERY
SWITCH LOADING—Avoid using a delivery vehicle that transports different types of fuel. If compartments are not properly cleaned, residual product will contaminate diesel fuel.
WATER— We could write multiple reports on how damaging water can be in a diesel tank! According to DFQC, “Water is the most critical factor contributing to product and tank system degradation and fuel quality.”
• Ensure site layout allows proper drainage away from tank pads and tank openings.
• Avoid draining spill buckets into UST.
• Remove all liquids in containment system.
• Stick tank with water finding paste on a regular basis.
• Maintain manway gaskets, bolts, covers, fill ports, and spill buckets.
CLARITY—Visually inspect fuel. All fuel should be clear and free of sediment. DFQC recommends a “white bucket test,” which will require the fuel distributor to load fuel into a five gallon bucket and allow site personnel to visually inspect quality of fuel prior to dropping into bulk tank.
LAB TESTING FUEL—Owners should submit fuel samples to a lab for testing if they suspect fuel is contaminated or are having equipment issues related to fuel quality.
TANKS
STP SUMPS—All sump connections and joints should be designed with the proper material to protect from fuel vapors. Inspect for water and ensure all connections are sealed properly.
SPILL BUCKET—Inspect spill bucket for fuel or water and remove/clean properly prior to delivery. Do not allow liquid to be released into tank.
TANK VENTS—Inspect vents for damage and verify there is no debris inside of vents.
TANK MONITORING—Monitor the tank to discover problems before they start, especially keeping free water out of the tank.
TANK AND FUEL REMEDIATION
FUEL POLISH, BIOCIDE, & TANK CLEANING—If sediment or microbial growth is found during monitoring, address immediately by adding a biocide, perform fuel polishing, and clean tank.
DISPENSERS
FILTERS—Add a 30 micron filter to dispenser. Owner can filer down to four microns but may run into restriction challenges.
If you’d like a copy of the full report, please notify Heidi Petty, hpetty@benesyst.com.
Sentara Martha Jefferson Cancer Center
Last year, our team member, Todd Robertson, lost his mother to breast cancer. Their family wanted to do something special in her honor. His nephew, Killian Donnelly, decided to host a golf tournament and donate the money to Sentara Martha Jefferson Cancer Center, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their donation would be put toward wigs and head scarves for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The golf tournament was a huge success and Killian and family donated $6,000 to the Cancer Center. Thanks to their hard work, 80 people will be able to choose a free wig during their treatment. Due to this year’s success, the family plans on making this an annual event in honor of Peggy Jo Robertson.
Dale Carnegie Training
Beneficial Systems recently enrolled their Leadership Team in Dale Carnegie courses. The goal is to help employees develop certain leadership skills, which will benefit our employees as well as our customers. The courses focus on skill development. A few example courses are: Step Up to Leadership, Successful Public Speaking, Adjust to Change, and Goal Setting and Accountability. The group will complete all thirteen courses by the end of the year.
Katie Corey, Accounting Manager, said, “The Dale Carnegie course have made me realize that you can slow down and still get your job done at the end of the day. We all have different approaches on handling work. Really take the extra time to listen to your co-workers, absorb what you hear and use it in a positive way. I am working on how to delegate better too.”
Aaron Mattex, Service Manager, states, “I like that the courses help me to analyze myself. They’ve helped me to see a need for more personal improvement.”