Leading petroleum family business advisors Meridian Associates, Inc. hosted their innovative event ‘Women in Petroleum 2018’ on June 25-27 at the Tideline Resort and Spa in Palm Beach, Florida. This women-only event provided a place for professional women in the petroleum industry to network, strategize and participate in focused mastermind sessions. A highlight of the event was the Outstanding Petroleum Woman Awards. The awards included both an Owner and Non-Owner category which were presented during the event to professional businesswomen, Marry Budden (TX) and Christine Sullivan (MA).
The Outstanding Petroleum Woman Award was designed to recognize professional women in the petroleum industry for outstanding performance. Nominees were judged on various criteria including their contribution to a company, their overall impact on the industry, leadership qualities and their contribution to those around them in their business or community. The award starts with an online nomination, the Top 10 are selected, phone interviews are conducted and finally, an outside panel of non-petroleum businesswomen choose the winners.
Award winner in the owner category, Mary Budden, is the CEO and majority owner of FB Fleet-Lube, LLC based in Plano, Texas. She started the company doing preventative maintenance and servicing on highway equipment in 2008. During the Northgate expansion at DFW in 2011, she was asked if they could deliver fuel. She researched, got a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification for minority and women owned businesses (DBE) in 10 months, bought a fuel truck, hired a driver and started delivering 3 loads per day. Their fuel business now outpaces maintenance and their growth rates are impressive. She considers her husband and business partner, to be her biggest mentor having faith and trust in her and was the one who nominated her for the Outstanding Women in Petroleum for 2018.
As Customer Service and Purchasing Supervisor of Tasse Fuel Corporation, based in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Christine Sullivan was the winner in the non-owner category for the Outstanding Women in Petroleum for 2018. Christine has worked in the industry for 40 years, the last 33 with Tasse after they acquired her original HVAC employer. She has assisted in the closing and opening of offices, three computer conversions, various upgrades and lots of technology changes. Christine says “you have to be very open minded to new technology. You can not live on what you know now.” Owner Jeff Tasse says, “She is by far the best thing I inherited from my Dad and his business. Her dedication to our family and our customers for 33 years has been nothing short of amazing.”
For more information on the Women In Petroleum event visit www.PetroWomen.com. To learn how Meridian can help you, please contact Meridian Associates, Inc., at (817) 594-0546 or visit www.askmeridian.com.
