Since 1991, MJ Ervin & Associates has worked with Canada's top petroleum marketers to conduct a comprehensive annual performance benchmark analysis of their bulk plant, retail and commercial cardlock operations.
We take in detailed, confidential operating data on thousands of marketing facilities across Canada, and provide our clients with detailed analysis (over 50,000 data measurements) of their overall site performance relative to the industry in general.
Our clients have used this information to set strategic goals, and to identify "performance gaps" in their operations. Our reports have become an intrinsic part of the strategic planning processes at companies such as Petro-Canada and Imperial Oil.
We have also conducted intra-organizational benchmarking for Shell UK and Shell Canada, using this exclusive industry benchmarking tool.
Download our comprehensive brochure describing our petroleum marketing benchmarking capabilities.
Market Monitoring and Analysis
Our firm operates the Canadian Petroleum Markets Data Service (CPMDS), a web-based market information and data resources service for subscribers.
CPMDS offers our clients up to date petroleum markets information and analysis of crude, wholesale, and retail pump prices and operating margins. Our clients include large industrial buyers, government regulators, market analysts, and petroleum marketers.
We also produce a regular industry newsletter for our subscriber base.
In 1997 we released a major industry study of competitiveness in the Canadian Petroleum Retail industry, for a consortium of clients which included two federal government ministries and the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute.
Entitled the "Canadian Petroleum Markets Study", this 120-page document still serves as an oft-cited reference for understanding the petroleum marketing industry in general, and competitiveness issues in particular
The study provided some unique insights into the state of competitiveness and price differentiation in the Canadian petroleum marketing industry, one of the most competitive markets in the industrialized world.
We have conducted well over 20 comprehensive briefings to governmental organizations at ministerial and senior departmental levels, on the issue of petroleum marketing competitiveness. This has included briefings to Federal caucus committees, task forces, provincial governments, and several municipal governments.
We have appeared and/or prepared submissions in support of a variety of civil litigation matters relating to petroleum marketing. In all cases, we have succeeded in bringing clarity to often-clouded issues.
We have been directly involved in examining and preparing analytical reports on a number of industry regulatory issues, including:
Assisting a major Eastern Canada marketer with their submission to the Québec Regie de l'Energie, concerning the setting of below-cost selling laws.
Helping a national petroleum industry association make representations to several regional municipalities on the matter of regulating the nature of retail petroleum service offerings
We conducted a province-wide inventory and risk assessment of orphaned underground storage tanks for the Government of Alberta, which assisted this client in prioritizing their enforcement and remediation goals.
We have conducted in-depth field surveys of marketing infrastructure and business potential, in several regions of Canada, for our clients.
We have provided specific recommendations for marketing opportunities for these clients, enabling them to expand their market share in a rational way.
Industry Familiarization Seminars
We have conducted dozens of familiarization sessions, ranging from two-day seminars to shorter, keynote addresses to industry stakeholders. Our two-day courses are presented as in-house sessions at your own facilities - we also conduct public seminars through the auspices of several partner organizations. Download our brochure to obtain more information, or contact Michael Ervin directly.
We have assisted a variety of petroleum marketers and industry associations in meeting their public affairs needs in communicating the often volatile issue of gasoline prices, to the media and public. We have brought understanding to this issue through innovative graphical and text/speech based presentation material. Providing you with unique perspectives on the petroleum marketing industry