From the President's Desk

This has been a brutal winter here in the Northland. Sub-zero temperatures have been the norm almost every night, and daytime temps don't warm up much past the single digits. In weather like this, it's not difficult to sell people on the cold-temperature benefits of using AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants. The alternative can be equipment that won't start, tow truck costs, frustration and inconvenience.

A business associate of mine was discussing the miserable weather with a couple of friends over lunch recently and mentioned that he was not concerned about his car starting in these cold temperatures because he used AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil. Interestingly enough, one of the two friends at the table chimed right in and started giving the other lunchmate an unsolicited commercial about AMSOIL Motor Oils.

He explained that he started using AMSOIL Motor Oil because, as a salesman on the road all the time, he put tens of thousands of miles on his car every year. He was changing oil every three thousand miles and it was not only expensive, but very time consuming. With AMSOIL, he changed oil just once a year and didn't worry about it. It was definitely the convenience of AMSOIL that originally sold him.

But then he related that he and his wife had driven down to Minneapolis for the weekend a couple of winters ago during what turned out to be an extremely cold arctic blast. When he looked out his motel window the next morning, he thought he might be in trouble. It was obviously very, very cold and the parking lot was full of cars with the hoods up waiting to be jump-started. He had never had trouble starting his car since switching to AMSOIL, but it had never sat out all night in such cold temperatures and high winds.

When he finally got out to his car, he climbed in, turned the key, and it started right up. He said besides all the other benefits of using AMSOIL, that experience alone made using it worthwhile. He also liked the fact that he knew his car was delivering the best fuel economy possible with AMSOIL in the crankcase. The long and short of this lunch was that by the time it was over, the guy who wasn't using AMSOIL was asking where he might get some.

So even though it's cold up here in the Northland, I don't complain. Like all temperature extremes a motorist might experience, cold weather sells our oil!

Isn't it wonderful when people have such good experiences with our products that they actually sell them for us? There truly is no better advertisement than a good testimonial. Our company has been built on just that kind of word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied customers. It's a real tribute to the quality of the products we make and sell.

Despite the cold temperatures we're experiencing here now, I am beginning to think about this coming summer and our 30th Anniversary Convention to be held here in July. Registrations are coming in daily, and we are already busy here at the home office planning what is certain to be an exciting, fun, and educational event for every Dealer who attends.

This and past issues of Action News have highlighted some of our plans for our coming celebration of thirty years in business. I won't get into details here. We have had some wonderful conventions in past years, and I know that this one will surpass them all in quality and content. As always, it will be a first-class event.

Being in this business together is like being in a big family. The AMSOIL family. We all have things in common. We all have experienced similar concerns, similar challenges, similar successes. Being able to share and network with friends and fellow members of our AMSOIL family at an international convention like our 30th is worth the price of admission alone. The ideas and insights we get from fellow Dealers can prove priceless!

On a personal note, your being here on convention weekend is most important to me. This is my chance to meet and greet Dealers and Direct Jobbers I don't see all that often. I also appreciate the opportunity to get introduced to our new Dealers. You are the future of our busines, and I look forward to getting to know you. So, having you all here with us is what this convention is really about. That's what is going to make this event a success!

So yes, right now it's cold outside my office window. Very cold. But even though our winters might seem a bit inhospitable, summers in northern Minnesota are very, very pleasant. Tens of thousands of tourists visit us every summer for that very reason. Many of our Dealers plan their vacations around our convention. There are plenty of attractions for you to enjoy in and around Duluth/Superior before and after the convention, and we guarantee you a top-notch convention weekend experience!