Blueox Corporation

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by: Michael McGuire

“Be big, act small.” That’s not the Blueox Corporation’s motto, but it sounds like it could be.

That’s because the employees who make up this Oxford-based energy company say they take pride in serving the communities they live in. It’s also because they take pride in raising the bar – no matter what size the competition is, company officials say.

“We’re striving be the best outfit in our industry in the market we’re in,” said sales executive Jeff Emerson. “Every day, in everything we do, we’re trying to raise the bar.”

With oil prices at or above $100 a barrel, those standards have never been more important than they are today, Blueox spokesman Shane Andrews said.

“We’re consumers, too,” said Andrews. “That’s why we’re always stressing efficiency to our customers, trying to help them keep their prices down.”

As part of their commitment, Blueox is certified to administer matching grant programs and low interest loans through the state to families that make less than a certain amount (depending on family size) so they can upgrade their homes to be more efficient.

“We’re involved in that program because we believe in it,” Emerson said.

Blueox also touts a line of energy efficient boilers, furnaces, hot water heaters and air conditioners that are both reliable and highly-rated for performance, Evans contends. In terms of pricing, the company offers a range of plans to help mitigate the impact of rising cost-per-barrel prices on customers, Andrews added.

Emerson admitted that high oil prices are not a blessing for Blueox, but rather a curse.

“We’re retailers, so when it hits $100 a barrel, that’s what we’re paying, too,” he said. “Consumers only see the guy that fills their tanks. But our fingers aren’t in that pie.”

In fact, such astronomical prices hurt retail profit margins and drive customers to find alternative ways to heat their homes, Emerson explained.

People have also been searching out alternative ways to power their homes as utility outages become more frequent. As a result, Blueox is ramping-up its residential and light commercial fuel-powered generators program. According to Blueox sales executive Tim Evans, when it comes to generators sales, “there’s no one in the same league with us.”

Although the program began in 2003, this will be the first year the company will aggressively and outwardly market the line.

“2008 will be the year of the generator at Blueox,” says Emerson. “What separates us is the turn-key installation. From installation, wire-up, fuel-up to regular maintenance – it’s one price, one company, for the whole package. That’s what differentiates us from the big box stores.”

Blueox offers both residential generators (normally 7 to 15 kilowatts) and light commercial models (up to 50 kilowatts).

“One of the big reasons for the increase in generators sales is that we’re seeing utility outages more frequently and for a longer duration, sometimes two or three days for some of our customers,” said Emerson. “People are deciding to take ownership of their power supply.”

Last year the company also laid the foundation to improve its service department, hiring six new technicians with a combined 118 years experience in HVAC.

One of those hires was new service manager Kevin Hall, a 23-year veteran of the industry.

“We don’t want to just be a fuel company that has a service department,” Hall said. “We want to be known as a fuel company that also offers top-notch service and installation.”

In 2007, Blueox spent $25,000 in 2007 on training technicians. It also upgraded its testing equipment to be all digital and rolled out a brand new fleet of heavy duty service vans.

“Our rolling stock is the best looking fleet out there,” Evans said.

Blueox was started in Oxford in 1960. It now has service branches in Oxford, Binghamton and Hamilton, that offer fuel, propane, and kerosene products. Blueox also owns 10 area gas stations and convenience stores, which recently switched to selling Valero brand gasoline and diesel.

“They are a progressive company,” said Emerson of Valero. “Offering their products has allowed us to put a cheaper price out on the street to our consumers.”

The commitment to consumers is the hallmark of the company, Evans said.

“We are their neighbors,” he said.

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