EZ Fuel is undergoing changes, with Esso slated to take over, meaning existing jobs will be lost, but employees will be able to re-apply.
Esso is on the verge of taking over operation of Oliver’s EZ Fuel gas station.
The Chronicle has learned that EZ Fuel management is in the final stages of negotiations as it prepares to turn its pumps and convenience store over to Esso, the brand used for gas stations operated by Imperial Oil in Canada.
Employees at EZ Fuel say they were recently informed of the pending changes which, according to Caron Soucy, will see all of EZ Fuel’s seven frontline staff lose their jobs on October 30. “We’re deeply hurt. That’s about all we can say,” Soucy said.
“I mean, we’ve been here since the beginning. That’s two and a half years, almost three. And we’re hurt. There’s no two ways around it. We’re hurt.”
Stacy Simpson is a manager at the store. She said current employees will have the opportunity to reapply for their old jobs once Esso takes over, but there’s no guarantee they will be re-hired.
Moisture collected in the corners of her eyes September 25 as she admitted she wasn’t sure if she was going to reapply. She said things have been tough since she learned of the changes, but she understands proprietor Terry Feeny’s need to hand over the gas station.
“He told us pretty much that this is what he needed to do,” she said. “But it’s been hard. And trying to stay open with sad faces is not easy.” When you’re not making money we understand it, but it doesn’t change anything for us, right?” Soucy added.
The Chronicle first reached Feeny September 18 when he said he couldn’t comment on the future of EZ Fuel because he was still negotiating with potential partners. The Chronicle has since reached out to Feeny several times, and on September 29 he said he was still unable to comment because of extensions to negotiations.
EZ Fuel has offered Esso gas since it opened in 2012, but has operated independently. Nothing is set in stone, but the upcoming change will likely see Esso take over operation of the station’s pumps and convenience store. This means both the pumps and store will carry Esso branding.
Both Simpson and Soucy said their understanding is that other EZ Group operations—including the EZ Truck and Car Rental and EZ Campground—will remain open and under their current leadership. Former manager Craig Pearson is no longer with the company.
As well as potentially putting gas station employees out of work, the changes will also affect Jampee Anderson, who runs Jampee’s Thai Kitchen—the popular food truck that had been operating out of the EZ Fuel parking lot.
Jampee’s Thai Kitchen is closed for the season, but the owner said she was told in September to close up shop.
According to Anderson, she was told she would no longer be allowed to operate in the EZ Fuel parking lot because the new owners wanted to set up some kind of “fast food dining service.”
Anderson said she is looking for a new place to park next summer, but if she can’t find anything she will be forced to close for good.
Simpson said she already has other job offers, but some of her colleagues have yet to find something. With the end of their time at EZ Fuel “right around the corner,” she hopes new opportunities present themselves for everyone affected by recent events.
“When one door closes another one opens,” she said.
The EZ Group property north of Oliver has not had a smooth ride since it began three years ago due to arson, theft and other incidents of crime. In one instance, someone backed a truck into the front entrance in an attempt to steal an ATM.
By Trevor Nichols
