16 necsema 2025 Resource Directory New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S Letter – continued... with determining, among adult customers, who is “adult enough” to purchase nicotine and who isn’t (and never will be). Retailers unlucky enough to operate in a jurisdiction that adopts this policy can see their life’s work devalued by upwards of 30% overnight through no fault of their own. On top of that, nicotine products are already age-regulated in Massachusetts; the policy would be entirely ineffective at achieving the advocates’ stated goals. When Massachusetts enacted another seemingly well- intentioned policy to ban all flavored tobacco in 2020, NECSEMA warned the policy would do nothing to combat usage rates. We also said it would harm Massachusetts businesses (to the benefit of our members in other states) and create an illicit market. Since then, The Commonwealth has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, the percentage of people using menthol cigarettes has remained unchanged, and an illicit market is thriving. The Commonwealth has risen to #4 nationwide in the dollar share of smuggling activity, and the police have made several high-profile busts involving menthol cigarettes, drugs, and guns. Unfortunately, being able to say “I told you so” carries little weight. The zealots who push these ridiculous policies are unphased. They truly believe government policy can overcome human behavior that dates to an era when wooly mammoths roamed the earth. We need unified resistance to these dangerous policies, and I hope you will join us in the fight. Please sign the petition and stay updated on local hearings at https:// citizensforadultchoice.com/ add your voice. This battle will not be won cheaply, and if you would like to contribute to our cause, please contact me directly. The silver lining of the NFG decision is that it has allowed NECSEMA to dramatically raise its regional and national profile. We have a great team of staff and consultants that know how to engage the media and policymakers to get results for our industry. While the fight ahead will not be easy, I am confident that we have the tools in place to counter anything the advocates will throw at us. In looking back at 2024, I would be remiss not to mention our event calendar. Our members trusted NECSEMA to completely reinvent our event calendar and responded by attending and sponsoring our events in record numbers. These events help our organization do all the things that you expect of us, and we try to provide the venues for the best industry networking and product exhibits in New England. We hope to see everyone this Spring for our Tip-Off and Industry Awards in March at Bally’s Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and in September, at our Expo, back at beautiful Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. Looking Ahead On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America, taking the oath of office for the second time, in his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol. He’ll become just the second president to be inaugurated in non-consecutive terms, the first being Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd and 24th president. What can we expect during President Trump’s second term? Despite numerous pundits predicting an electoral college tie and alarmists foreseeing civil unrest, the outcome was more conclusive, potentially reflecting the citizens’ desire for reduced government overregulation. Donald Trump secured 86 additional electoral college votes and the popular vote by a margin exceeding two million votes. One hopes that the second Trump presidency will focus more on results than drama and we’ll work with our federal partners at NACS and EMA to make industry gains wherever possible. Regrettably, for those that do business in New England (aside from New Hampshire, which remains a bastion of common sense), the early response of our elected officials has been to double-down on policies that seek to “Trump-proof” the northeast and oppose anything coming out of the new administration. In the wake of an electoral mandate that manifested Americans’ desire to be free of overregulation, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. One thing is certain: NECSEMA will remain steadfast in its support for our industry and your business, regardless of the circumstances that may arise. It has been an honor to serve your Association as Executive Director for the past two years. If you would ever like to contact me to discuss an issue, or to let us know about something that we should be aware of, please contact me at [email protected]. NECSEMA is nothing without our members and we appreciate the value that you bring to our industry and our association every day. Here’s to 2025 – let’s make it a great! Pete Brennan Executive Director NECSEMA
