| Biographical Sketch of the Author |
| Services |
| The Truth Behind Gas Prices |
About Richard Clough Hello, my name is Richard Clough a former gas station owner who shares the secret inner workings of the oil industry; some of these secrets come from litigation to which I was a party. You will find the answer to many of your questions about oil and gas prices as I take you on a guided tour of the hidden practices of oil companies. I received my Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Oregon in 1979 and immediately went to work for the JC Penney Company as a management trainee. I spent seventeen years with them. It was a good company to work for and they taught me about business, marketing, retailing and how to win and keep customers. I always wanted to have my own business and in 1996 the opportunity came. In April of 1996 construction was complete and I opened my own gas station and car wash. I worked my tail off that first year building the business and had several successful years. But, in 1998 things began to change as Shell and Texaco formed a joint venture called Equilon Enterprises where Shell became the majority owner. Over the months, I noticed that in order to remain competitive with all brands including Texaco branded stations, my margin was getting smaller and smaller. As a gas station owner you make your profit from two key things – Volume and Margin. Big oil companies also make their profit from volume and margin. Why was my price from Equilon, a subsidiary of the Shell-Texaco alliance making it harder for me to compete? A number of letters and phone calls were made to company personnel, but nobody would answer my questions about pricing discrepancies. Several local dealers decided to seek legal counsel and after much thought, we pursued legal action. Two years went by and we finally reached a settlement with Equilon. These two years were a very troubling time for me and my family. People ask me if we won the lawsuit. I tell them "No, we didn’t win, but we did not lose either." I had to sell my business because of Equilon’s pricing practices, but I did learn a great deal about how oil companies think and operate, particularly Texaco and Shell. The product of my experiences and research is written in my book, The Truth Behind High Fuel Prices: What Oil Companies Do Not Want You to Know! My Vision For America To give America and it's citizen energy, economic,environmental and national security. That America would not be held hostage by the policies of the oil industry and the politics of this country. That alternative energy would be brought to market to free America from its dependence on foreign oil. And that citizens hold our elected leaders responsible for setting policy that sets us free from oil and the terrorism that comes with it. I am currently promoting my book and available for speaking engagements. |
| Copyright © 2007, Richard Clough |
| Richard Clough |