Star Enterprise
Serving a Global Leader in the World of Energy

In the busy world of convenience store retailing, StarStaff/Petroman stand out. The Houston-based joint venture between Texaco and Saudi Refinery, Inc. and Shell Oil operates more than 900 stores in over 40 states - with plans for more.

Each brightly lit store, emblazoned with the famous Texaco star and Shell pectum, sells high quality gasoline and petroleum products, brand-name snacks and foods, refreshments, and consumer merchandise.

In an intensely competitive business, this enterprise shines for its record of high-quality service and customer satisfaction. As Fortune magazine noted, Texaco earned distinction as the number one gasoline marketer in the area of customer satisfaction in a survey conducted by The University of Michigan and The American Society for Quality Control.

"Our salary-operated retail outlets continue to be the top priority for the company," said Don Tennant, manager of Human Resources for Retail Operations. "About 9,500 employees work in our convenience store operations."

This joint venture uses sophisticated, computer-based training to keep employees ahead of the quality curve. For example, Star World is a multimedia training package for new employees; it includes a colorfully interactive instructional CD-ROM, plus a training video.

The video offers a realistic picture of employee responsibilities, emphasizing that in-store associates must "brighten the moment for the customer," even when the customer is less than friendly.

Learning to provide "dazzling" service isn't the only benefit of being a Petroman/StarStaff employee. Full-time associates receive medical, dental, and life insurance benefits, and may participate in a company-sponsored Educational Assistance Plan that reimburses tuition costs.

Planning and administering life and health insurance benefits for employees at more than 900 stores in over 40 states - stores employing only a few people in each location - that's why the alliance selected the Lewer Agency. Since 1989, The Lewer Agency, Inc. has been the company's supplier of medical and life insurance products for the convenience store employees.

Don Tennant said, "I first met with the Lewer Agency in 1989. We engaged Lewer to identify life and health products for our convenience store operations, based on what employees wanted: more benefits, fully insured, and lower deductibles.

"The Lewer Agency was very responsive, going out and building an HMO network for us, which helped the alliance by lowering the cost of coverage for our employees, often with better benefits."

"We are very fortunate to work with the Lewer Agency. The agency is always looking for new ways to deliver benefit products to multi-state operations that have from 2 to 25 participants."

"Michael Lewer and Mike Dlugolecki have been very responsive to any needs that we've had. They provided medical and life insurance products and, later, a managed care HMO product, for our C-store operators and employees. The Lewer Agency has never embraced the 'one-size-fits-all' mode; the agency is quick to customize insurance and benefit programs to the needs of the business."

"The Lewer Agency is entrepreneurial and offers customized plans and products to meet the needs of small groups, 2 to 25 participants. Many large insurance companies have abandoned the small group market. They are not set up to handle this size of a workforce and the high turnover. Michael Lewer, however, is very proactive, wanting to grow the business where other carriers have not chosen to go.

"I believe the Lewer Agency is a partner with us and not just a product provider," he continued. "They understand our work force and what motivates them. I have recommended the Lewer Agency to several other companies in our line of business. Together we have developed new product lines and administrative systems to serve our valued C-store operators and associates."

'We have a very special relationship with the people at the Lewer Agency," he concluded. "They have earned our trust."