June 25, 2025 • 36 mins
Global Partners is a 4th generation Massachusetts based company that is one of the Northeast’s largest independent owners, suppliers, and operators of gasoline stations and convenience stores. Recently the MassDOT Board of Directors awarded the redevelopment of 18 highway service plazas to a private-equity backed, foreign-owned corporation in Ireland. Global is challenging that decision and urging Gov. Healey to intervene as they believe the contract should be awarded to a local company that “reflects the Commonwealth’s values, supports local communities, and prioritizes long-term public interests.” Global Partners President and CEO Eric Slifka joined Dan to discuss.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you, Dan Watkins. Boy, that temperature is really plummeting.
We have lost like eight degrees since the sun went down.
Whoa baby? Actually not at ninety two degrees at nineh
eight at night. Let me tell you tough, tough, tough. Okay,
tell you something else that is tough. There was a
(00:28):
contract given out by the Conwealth of Massachusetts, actually by
the I guess the Transportation Board. We'll get the specifics.
Joining me is Eric slip Cup. He's the president and
CEO of a big important Massachusetts company called Global Partners.
It's a fortune five hundred company, might even be a
(00:50):
little bit bigger than that. Eric Slifko, Welcome to Nightside.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Good Dan, how are you well.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm probably not as upset as you are, but I'm
a little concerned about this, which is why I've asked
you to join us tonight. First of all, Global Partners,
your Fortune five hundred company, that's a big deal. I mean,
I don't how many Fortune five hundred companies we have
in Massachusetts, but you're one of the bigger companies here
(01:18):
in Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Correct, correct, and we've been here Dan since nineteen thirty,
not as a fortune five hundred company, but when my
grandfather and grandmother started a storefront for retail home heating oil,
and my dad went in the business in the fifties
and a little later his brother came in. I came
(01:40):
in the business in eighty seven, and my two sons
se just joined the business in the last few years.
So we're four generations here in Boston. It's where we
have all grown up. It's where all our children are,
it's where I went to school and Austin I call
(02:01):
our home. Massachusetts is our place and it has always
been our place.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah. Right now you're a wealthy and based company. As
I understand that you're soon going to move to Newton.
How many employees do you have? That's always an.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Important number, you know, about a total about five thousand employees,
about seventeen hundred in the state of Massachusetts. We spend
over about one hundred and twenty five million in state
taxes here and we're rooted here. And a lot of
our business over time has grown and has gone into
(02:35):
different states and different parts of the country, but we're
rooted here.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So when we think of you as a as an
energy company. Is that still the backbone of the company,
you know, selling energy products?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It is just at the highest level. We have fifty
four terminoals from Maine down to Florida and into Texas
with about twenty two million barrels of storage capacity. We
have seventeen hundred gas stations that we own, lease or supply.
We currently have the Connecticut Turnpike and we operate the
(03:15):
gas stations and convenience stores there as well as well
as for the sites here in Massachusetts where we have
full leases on them and the rest of the mass
Turnpike as well, where we operate the gas and operate
the sea stores there. And we have for probably about
a decade or so. Over the last oh, I don't know,
(03:39):
I'd say seven or eight years, we have created something
called All Town Fresh and my dad, I'll be a
little personal here, my dad had a heart attack. My
grandfather had a heart attack. Food I think is important,
and All Town Fresh we have created a very sort
(04:01):
of clean food eco system where our guests can come
in and enjoy healthier for you options. So if you've
got your kids in the car, you can get the
bad stuff. If you want it, but you can also
get really clean, healthy food if that's your choice. Now
we have go ahead. We have about and we have
(04:23):
about three hundred UH SEA stores that we own and
operate as well.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
What type of stores did you say.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Sea stores and restaurants, convenience stores.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And restore when you so, when you said sea stores,
I wasn't. I was thinking, are we talking about the ocean? No?
With so convenience stores?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Okay, yeah, convenient Yeah, convenience. But but one of the
things that we've started to do is over the last
decade is put food into all of those locations and
make sure that we're providing sort of the highest and
best guest services that we possibly can.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So you do you have UH stores and plazas on
the Connecticut Turnpike, and you have four locations in Massachusetts.
They're not on the pike, as I understand?
Speaker 4 (05:11):
That?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (05:12):
Are they on that that? That is correct?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So we're talking about twenty four and four five side yep,
And then you're you're talking about Barnstable and you're also
talking about Beverly as well.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Okay, so no, none, nothing either on the pike or
on one twenty.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And on the Pike and on the pike, we actually
operate the gas and we and we operate the convenience
stores on the Turnpike as well. So currently where we're
already there and you know, we're already there operating these sides.
So there's it's a total eleven of them that we're
(05:53):
we're in there and we're currently operating. Okay, so we
have mixed yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Okay, I just I just think that I'm I don't
to confuse people. So you have currently a presence on
the pike both in terms of selling gas and food.
Are you in all of the eleven plausas? I think
there's eleven plazas on the pike? Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Correct? Correct?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And those are the ones on the pike?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay, great, okay, so you're you're in effect the incumbent
on the pike.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Well, there there is a master lease. McDonald's has a
master release. So McDonald's has a master release and they
and they chose us actually part way through because they
had somebody there that left and they needed and they
needed our assistance, and so we decided to operate the
(06:41):
same thing happened those Barnstable, Beverly and the Bridgewater sites
the same thing happened. There was an incumbent there, the
incumbent left. It was if I if I can remember correctly,
I think it was a Burger King franchisee who had
won it, and they ended up giving up and we
came in to bail out those locations for the state,
(07:05):
and we've been running them for about seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Okay, so you've been a good citizen, You've been a
great employer, a great Massachusetts company. I got to take
a break. There has been now an opportunity for, as
I understand it, a thirty five year lease for all
the locations on the Turnpike. And just to set the stage,
(07:32):
you appears to me, as I read the materials that
you've sent, you had the most competitive bid, meaning the
most competitive bid which would return the most benefit to
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And yet you have lost out
(07:53):
on the selection process to a company not from New England,
not from the United States, but from across the pond
in Ireland. Which is why I'm having you on tonight
because you have sent a very direct I might add,
in a very well written letter to the Governor of Massachusetts,
and we're going to talk about what your complaint is
(08:15):
you feel at this point that this that this process
has been unfair. Uh, and you're going to talk about it,
and we're going to invite people to join the conversation
as for the for the balance of this hour, I
hope everybody will be willing to join in and chime
in because this is one that I think the governor
has to pay attention to. She's the only person who
(08:37):
can turn this situation around. And this is a situation
which is going to cost potentially cost Massachusetts revenue over
the next thirty five years. You're actually ponying up or
committing more funds than the company from Ireland, and yet
they have been designated as the winner. Six one, seven, two, five,
(08:59):
four ten, six seven. We're going to shine a spotlight
here and you make the decisions. We're coming back with
my guest, Eric Sliffler. He's the president sliff Cup, President
and CEO of Global Partners, a big Massachusetts company that
at this point has been pushed to the side. Back
(09:19):
on Nightside right after these messages.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Eric, you sent this letter to the governor earlier? Was
it earlier this week or last week. It was last Thursday, Okay,
So so you know she's had hopefully a chance to
see it. Whenever we talk about numbers on radio, it's
very difficult. So why don't you explain to my to
(09:50):
me and threw me to my audience, why your offer
is my best offer for the state of Massachusetts. This
is a thirty five year state contract that, as you're right,
has been awarded to a foreign owned, private equity backed company,
while a fourth generation Massachusetts based employer who are for
(10:10):
the state, nearly nine hundred million more in guaranteed rent
is passed over. Break it down first, Eric, This to
me is astonishing.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yeah, we think it's astonishing too. You know, honestly, I
do not understand how the Mascot commissioners could land where
they did. Now they have an RFP criteria.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That RFP is a request for proposal, it's the invitation.
Just so that again, I want my audience to follow this.
So I don't mean to interrupt you, but I just
want to make sure that you and I might understand that.
But I want everyone in my audience to know that
the state is obligated to send out a request for proposal.
Anyone can apply. How many companies applied.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I'm gonna guess for four, okay, fair.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Enough, Okay. So it's not the type of project that
every Tom, Dick and Harry who has a pickup truck
can apply for. You've got to be a pretty substantial
company to apply, and you got obviously qualify. Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yeah, And this is you know, don't get me wrong,
this is a big deal. You know. One of the
things too, that's a little bit more unique is we
also have the terminals that supply these facilities as well,
and we're also supplying those terminals cargoes and barges, and
then we send it out by trucks to supply to
(11:40):
apply each location. And I don't believe any of the
other bidders actually own those assets in the markets to
supply these assets.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
So essentially, I don't mean to interrupt here, but I
just want to put it into language that everybody understood.
You do this thing, as we would say, from soup
to nuts, your whole shooting match.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Go ahead, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Okay. So this is the eye popping number, Dan. We
have a guaranteed rent number guaranteed can't be can't be
any less of one point five billion dollars over the
thirty five years. It's a lot of money our competitor,
(12:25):
depending on how they count, because their bit is not firm,
it's not guaranteed risk rent and it has risk associated
with It could be six hundred and twenty three million
on the low end and it could be nine hundred
and ninety four million on the high end, but that's
(12:45):
no guarantee. It's just in the range. So there's nothing
firm on that. So what I would say to all
the listeners, and this is the most important thing. You know,
the state could be leaving one hundred million dollars on
the table at a beer minimum, they're leaving five or
(13:05):
six hundred million on the table. And given where we
are today as a state and all of the priorities
that we have, and look we're local, we do spend
a lot of money on charity. We invest in the community.
You know, our people here go to work every day
(13:29):
to help others and not just spend money, but spend
time in the field, building houses, doing all sorts of things.
So we know that it's important for the state to
have as much money as it possibly can. Well, here
it is they've walked away for between five hundred and
a billion dollars five hundred million and a billion dollars
(13:52):
that could be used to do good in the state.
Never mind, it could be used for transportation too. Right.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This decision was made by what is called the Massachusetts
Department of Transportation Board. Okay, So who appoints who? I
don't need the names, but are these full time state employees?
A are they, you know, political appointees who get designated
to be on this board.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
They are appointed by the governor, and there is eleven
board members, and they come from various places throughout the state.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, And you want to assume that they're legitimate and
they're honest people, and I'm willing to make that assumption.
But somehow, some way they did not get a clear
I can't imagine if they had this clear view. Now
you mentioned in the letter to the governor, I'm going
(14:50):
to put it on you. You say this gap that
you're just talking about, these numbers aren't close. This gap
is astounding. Despite this, Mascot's chief developpment officer misled the
mas DOT board by stated were very close. Now very close,
of course, is a subjective judgment. It's like me saying
(15:12):
the rid Sox are very close to winning the World Series.
We will know whether they win the World Series or
not sometime by the end of October. But I can
say that's very close. I don't see how when there's
a difference of a potentially nine hundred million dollars that
that's very close. How could this chief Development officer come
(15:35):
to that conclusion because I'm assuming, as the title would reflect,
a chief Development officer understands financial development. That's what a
chief development officer does.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Yes, you would assume that that's what the development officer does.
We had a meeting with the Development officer where he
confused gallons and revenue and he had difficulty describing what
they both meant to the state. And so he certainly
(16:11):
is the one who led the meeting. We had a
public meeting where we had three hundred people showed up
on our behalf to support us and to get the message, yep,
And to get the message and to get the message out.
And even after we spoke for you know, people spoke
for ninety minutes, many of them spoke in favor, and
(16:35):
you know, the boards would have just went on It's
merry way. I would you know what I would what
I would hope for is I would strongly urge the
mas DOT commissioners to look at this and to do
what's right for the state, for the people of the commonwealth.
You know, almost a billion dollars in thirty five years.
(16:56):
What do we know is going to happen, that there's
going to be an increase?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And tophies right by example? Okay, well, here is almost
a billion dollars that could have went to the roadways
to keep those rates lower that are now going to
have to Yeah, that are now going to have to
be increased because of it. And so you know, I
don't I don't think that they've done their job. I
(17:22):
don't think they've represented the people of the commonwealth. I
think they never provided us with a side by side
comparison of our offer and apple Green's offer, and and
and frankly, you know, to the board they didn't do
that either, right, So I think that's uh. I think
that's an egregious error. And and they only in the
(17:45):
public meeting they only gave apple Green's numbers, right, they
didn't say that.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I see something in your letter which would which bothers
me even more. You said that you wrote quote to
make matters worse. When question by a board member about
the reliability of your competitors' numbers Apple Green, this development
officer opened his response stating he wanted to focus on
(18:11):
the recommendation and not talk bad about the other bidders,
and then he stated that he found the the numbers
from Applegreen more reliable. How can he make such a
decision that a set proposal is more reliable that theirs
(18:34):
was more reliable than yours. You're the only company that
operated convenience stores and fueling stations. You have all of
this experience. This is you wrote a really good letter.
So far, no response from the governor, I assume correct.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I mean, look, we're operating locations today. Yeah, we're operating
him in another state in Connecticut as well. This is
our business, right, and we have lots of stations in Connecticut,
and we have lots of stations in Massachusetts, you know,
and so, but more importantly than that, the thing that
hurts the most is we are local, and you know,
(19:16):
and you know we chose and have partnered with Commonwealth Kitchen, Okay,
Jen Fagel, and you know she supports these local entrepreneurs
who I've been really fortunate enough to meet over time
who want to do food and she helps to get
(19:37):
them organized and support them on the way out the door.
They have sixty five million dollars a year revenue there.
I mean, this is a real business she's created. And
because we're local Jen, who is by the way, an
amazing person, we partnered with her because we knew this
was best for the States. So, you know, there's a
(19:58):
whole bunch of things here that don't feel right.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Let me from Eric, let me do this because I'm
into my newscast here, So let me let me give
you a chance to breathe for a second. You've answered
all my questions. I think that I think there. You know,
there's a prime e facia case here, uh to to
take another look and make sure make sure that everything
adds up and then at a minimum, at a minimum,
(20:26):
have the governor involved in this, and then have the
board take a fresh look. Again. This is not like
we're taking we're picking a company from New Hampshire, Connecticut.
We're picking a company from another country, uh and another
another continent. Actually, And I'm not here to hurt Applegreen.
I'm here, Uh. I know nothing about their company. Uh,
(20:46):
but but it seems to me that that on the surface,
your numbers, and I've looked at the numbers that you've
provided in this letter to the governor. She has to
pay attention to the numbers. I can I can read numbers,
and I can read letters, and I can read URRFPS.
So let's let's open up phone lines. We'll go to
phone lines, see what what the people in Massachusetts think.
(21:08):
Six one, seven, two, five four thirty six one seven,
nine three one thirty. My guest is the president and
CEO of Global Partners, e Waltham based Massachusetts company, hundreds
of employees here in Massachusetts, thousands of employees around the country.
Eric Sliffcomb, the president and CEO, is my guest. You
(21:28):
can ask him any question you want. Will be back
on night Side right after this.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'MBZ Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
My guest is Eric Slipcup, He's the president and CEO
of Global Partners.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
We're going to go to phone calls and see what
people have to say about this. I mean, you may
look this as another deal, another Massachusetts deal, But I'm
tired of this stuff and I want openness and I
would like to see. Has the ever been an explanation
given to you in writing that says, gee, thank you
(22:05):
for your application, but we've decided to go in a
different direction. We found that, uh, you know, your RFP
was was lacking in this area. I mean, if if
you applied to go to a college, or someone applies
to go to goes to a college, they have a
sense of what their their board scores are. If you
(22:27):
if you're applying for a job, you have a sense
of how qualified you are. You're extraordinarily qualifying, and your
numbers I think pretty clearly more advantageous to come Wealth
of Massachusetts. No one ever came to and said, you know,
we've got a problem with with how you've handled things
in the past. There's no explanation here. It's just they win,
you lose.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
That's you know that, said Dan. I mean at the
public meeting, we stated our case given the information that
they had had let out, but shorder of that, they
simply took a vote. It almost didn't matter that the
numbers were a billion dollars and they sat up there,
took a vote, all gave a vote and went with
(23:11):
apple Green.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Okay, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Plain and simple. That's all. Nothing else, right, they'll.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Go they've gone that way. Let's see what Let's see
what the the listeners think here. They're they're the most
important constituency that I have. Let's go. First off, Uh
going to go to Peabody and we're going to talk
with Sal in pvty. Sal you were first up this
hour with Eric Slifka, President and CEO of Global Partners.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Go ahead, Sal, Hey, Dan, how you doing? I'm doing
this is yeah, a long time listener, Thank you very much.
You know what what is really happening here? It makes
no sense at all. So I'm listening to this guy,
Mike Irvin. He's excellent, by the way, on critical issues.
(24:00):
And he said the guy running the meeting didn't even
know the difference between gallons and dollars.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, well, I'm not sure. I'm not sure who Mike
urban is. First of all, the person who's my guest
is Eric Slifka, President and CEO of Global.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
This guy, Mike, does you know he talks about critical
issues impacting us as?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Uh? Who is he? I have no idea If you
want to tell.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Me anyway, I don't. He's got like a YouTube channel.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Oh well, if he's got a YouTube channel, Look, do
me a favorite. And I'm being on a cell. I
have no idea who he is. If you said to
me Roger Clements said this, I at least would know
who Roger Clemens would be, probably if Roger's talking about baseball.
But I don't know who this fellow is. So let's
just let's get the response to your comment from the
(24:55):
fellow who's in the midst of this and I think
knows a lot about it, Eric slifk, Eric, go right ahead.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
So so Sal, good to meet you, Thanks for calling in. Look,
it's it's a billion dollars, uh more than what their
alternative that they chose is. And that's the problem, right,
And and they've I think they've completely shirked their responsibilities
(25:21):
and they did not go with the company that throughout
that request for proposal the five areas. You know, we
we shined in every one of those areas. We we
scored great and but they haven't told us, and they
haven't told us why, and so we don't know other
than the dollars or a billion dollars off that's huge money, huge, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Well, Sal, I appreciate you, cal If you talked to
Mike the fellow you mentioned, tell that. Dan Ray says, along, Okay, I.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Will I will do that. No, thanks you very much,
thanks for having me. I appreciate it, and you know,
I really it really would be nice for the state
to come clean on this, and uh again, be nice
for that.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
It would be nice for the state to come clean
on this and come clean on everything. We need more transparency.
This is what ton Ton the government has always talked
about transparency, explained to us.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
If there's a reason she had Dan no real quick.
Didn't she run on transparency.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Amongst other things? Yeah? Absolutely. Everybody says I'll be the
most transparent whatever, and then when they get in into office,
it's tough to find them. You ever buyd fight.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
Its driving me crazy. But anyway, look, I'll let you
guys go. Let's see what you called. I appreciate it.
Thanks you, great night, Thanks sir.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
All right, six ten thirty. I got a couple of
lines at six one, seven, nine thirty if you want
to get in. We got to take a quick break here,
coming right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right back to the phones, were go going to
talk with law and in Atedinburgh. Lauren, you're next on
Nightside with Eric Slifka, the president and CEO of Global Partners.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
Go ahead, Lauren, Hi, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, I don't know where Lauren went here, Rob, She
must have probably pushed the button wrong. So we'll come
back to Lauren in a moment, and let's go to
Phil in Boston. Phil, you're next on Nightside. Phil. Right ahead,
How you.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Doing the holdings above my pay grade? The bottom line
is this wasn't a mass pike supposed to be free.
After all the bills are played off.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
That's that's a pride that goes back to the nineteen nineties.
I think so and bill Well. Bill Well did a
lot of that. He took down tolls for you.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Yeah, he tried, Yeah, yeah, Dann this I got there.
I'm like this, this fella, I don't know the guy.
He's the guy. I apparently he's educated, he's lived here,
whose whole life. He can probably just spart a cloudlessky
and no one is gonna snow out and he'll be
he'll be order an extra rock iceerers for the guys
that come in there, I mean, and they gut why
(28:10):
why don't these people get together, okay, and transparency, transparency
and send them to island for a few days, over
the country years and see what they do. How do
they operate? Are they good? Are they good? If this
guy's going go to what and it's going on one
of his facilities that are operating somewhere while we go
over there. And then you mentioned the graand versus the
(28:31):
pound or the mead, they're gonna be a different systems.
They're gonna be a needed and a European dollar, English
dollar versus.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Do Sorry, well, Phil, I think you raised points. And
again sometimes I think if it's a close call, the
home team should have the advantage, of course, okay, And
this to me isn't a close call, and the home
steam is still getting the short end of the stick apparently,
so you know. And by the way, if someone from
Apple Green wants to come on and discuss it with
(29:01):
me tomorrow, they're more than welcome. I just hope the
governor takes a good, hard, honest look at this. And
I don't think that's too much to ask just.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
To make a shop if I leave, if it's almost
like going to a pizza shop and they say well,
do you want to cook pizza or do you want
the cold pizza? If you got to ring on a freeze,
well let me you can take the frozen pizza. That'll
be good for me. Had more money, get the cook piza.
I mean, come on, all right, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
All right, all right, I'll let you right, okay, Well.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Thank you, thank Hey, Hey Dan, Yes, right ahead, Hey Dan,
I just want to point one thing out. You know,
following on Apple Green's history. You know, Apple Green had
won the State of New York's Turnpike bed. Okay, they
had a two hundred and sixty million dollars over on
(29:55):
fifty eight percent of the total project cost, and they
acts the task payers to bail them out in New York.
So that's that's their history of the most recent deal
that they've done.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Okay, yeah, and look, and you can.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Have problems, but fifty eight percent, yeah, overrun, that's like unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Let me keep rolling here, Okay, let me go to
Ruby in Foxborough. Ruby, you are next on Nightside with
my guest Eric.
Speaker 6 (30:29):
Thank you for taking my Callome. I want to thank you, Dan.
I want to sut what this is slipped I said
earlier It's like, this is a company that's been around
for four generations, nearly one hundred years. They're very local.
I frequent the All Town Fresh in Easton, and not
(30:53):
only for the great food, fresh food, but they also
it's a wonderful place to be and they're also extremely charitable.
This family and this company has done so much. And
you know that because when you're in the store, they're
donating food to the food pantry, they're having coffee with cops.
(31:13):
They host the community, you can get gift cards for
your kids hockey games. The thing is, the sense that
I get is that they meet the people where they're at.
So they're generous on the big scale, which we know
and because they're one of the most generous companies in
(31:34):
the state, but they're also generous at the local level.
They meet the people where they're at. They take care
of everybody in the community, and that's what brings people together.
And I think that's important, this kindness, this especially now
more than ever, I think this matters. And I don't
know if you could put, you know, quantify that in
(31:57):
this process, but I think it's worth noting and it's
a huge factor.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And and again, their bid according to the numbers that
I've looked at. Uh. Not only is the competitive bid,
is the best bid in terms of Massachusetts and they
have experienced So Ruby is a tough one. This is
a tough one to understand.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
And they and I know people who have received free
home heating oil. So they take what they have and
then they give it away and they donate it and
they take care of their communities. And I really think
the governor is making a giant mistake because here's a
local company that's taking care of its neighbors. You have
(32:41):
somebody coming in who wins a bid from a foreign country.
They don't know the people, and this company knows the community,
it knows everybody.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Ruby made You made the points, you made them well.
But I got to grab one of the call here
before before the hour is over.
Speaker 6 (32:57):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Thank you, good night. Let me go to Ruth. Ruth,
go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Hi, Eric, my name is Ruth, and first I want
to express my condolences on the loss of your uncle.
And really my call is to echo what Ruby said.
This is one of the most philanthropic families in the state,
and they do good and they never say no, and
(33:31):
and it's also a fourth generation company, so they know
what they're doing. So I just like my purpose of
calling was to say what Ruby said, but I'm just
echoing it.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I appreciate that, Ruth,
Thank you very much. Let me get one, Thank you, Ruth.
One more call in here if I can. John and Marshfield,
you're under the wire. I give you about twenty seconds.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
Go ahead, John, Okay, Dan, how you doing it? Listen? Eric,
I feel your pain because I am a taxpayer in
Massachusetts and my thought on this would be this is
kind of what you get when you have a one
party system in our states. So I hope the governor's
paying attention. But she wasn't paying attention with our electric rates?
Speaker 6 (34:20):
Was she?
Speaker 5 (34:21):
Did?
Speaker 8 (34:21):
I think you had a show on that.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Oh yeah, well there's again there's all sorts of questions here,
and let's try to get some answers. And again I
offer if Apple Green wants to come on to tomorrow
night and discuss the comparative bids or at any point,
they will be more than welcome. John. I appreciate you call,
and I agree with you. One party, stay with Hill.
Speaker 8 (34:41):
Luck Eric, good luck. All right, thank you, Eric.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Is there any way that my audience, and I only
have a few seconds left, can help you out?
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Here?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Can? What would you suggest? Contact the Governor's office.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Contact the Governor's office, go to www dot globalppasn'peter dot com.
So www dot globalp dot com. There'll be a red banner.
Click on the banner and you can write the letter
to whoever you choose there. But more importantly than that,
I want to call out the board of mass dot
(35:18):
and I want them to release the bidst right they
if they're so certain about their choice, they need to
release the details of the bids and get this over
with and show us that we're right or we're wrong.
I'm ready to step up and do what it takes.
They ought a too, don't hide, be straight and stand
(35:39):
up and.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Let's let's have some transparency. Eric, I appreciate the call.
I appreciate your time tonight. And again, I'm honest. If
Applegreen wants an equivalent hour any night this week or whenever,
we'll do it. We'll do it. And but I suspect
they won't call. We'll see what happens if Eric, keep
us in touch on this and let us know how
it works out. Thank you so.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Much, you gotta Dan, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Good night. When we get back, we're going to talk
about the Middle East cease fire, no cease fire now
a ceasefire one of the results. We got lots of questions.
Hopefully you've got comments coming back on Nightside
It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you, Dan Watkins. Boy, that temperature is really plummeting.
We have lost like eight degrees since the sun went down.
Whoa baby? Actually not at ninety two degrees at nineh
eight at night. Let me tell you tough, tough, tough. Okay,
tell you something else that is tough. There was a
(00:28):
contract given out by the Conwealth of Massachusetts, actually by
the I guess the Transportation Board. We'll get the specifics.
Joining me is Eric slip Cup. He's the president and
CEO of a big important Massachusetts company called Global Partners.
It's a fortune five hundred company, might even be a
(00:50):
little bit bigger than that. Eric Slifko, Welcome to Nightside.
How are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Good Dan, how are you well.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm probably not as upset as you are, but I'm
a little concerned about this, which is why I've asked
you to join us tonight. First of all, Global Partners,
your Fortune five hundred company, that's a big deal. I mean,
I don't how many Fortune five hundred companies we have
in Massachusetts, but you're one of the bigger companies here
(01:18):
in Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Correct, correct, and we've been here Dan since nineteen thirty,
not as a fortune five hundred company, but when my
grandfather and grandmother started a storefront for retail home heating oil,
and my dad went in the business in the fifties
and a little later his brother came in. I came
(01:40):
in the business in eighty seven, and my two sons
se just joined the business in the last few years.
So we're four generations here in Boston. It's where we
have all grown up. It's where all our children are,
it's where I went to school and Austin I call
(02:01):
our home. Massachusetts is our place and it has always
been our place.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah. Right now you're a wealthy and based company. As
I understand that you're soon going to move to Newton.
How many employees do you have? That's always an.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Important number, you know, about a total about five thousand employees,
about seventeen hundred in the state of Massachusetts. We spend
over about one hundred and twenty five million in state
taxes here and we're rooted here. And a lot of
our business over time has grown and has gone into
(02:35):
different states and different parts of the country, but we're
rooted here.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So when we think of you as a as an
energy company. Is that still the backbone of the company,
you know, selling energy products?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
It is just at the highest level. We have fifty
four terminoals from Maine down to Florida and into Texas
with about twenty two million barrels of storage capacity. We
have seventeen hundred gas stations that we own, lease or supply.
We currently have the Connecticut Turnpike and we operate the
(03:15):
gas stations and convenience stores there as well as well
as for the sites here in Massachusetts where we have
full leases on them and the rest of the mass
Turnpike as well, where we operate the gas and operate
the sea stores there. And we have for probably about
a decade or so. Over the last oh, I don't know,
(03:39):
I'd say seven or eight years, we have created something
called All Town Fresh and my dad, I'll be a
little personal here, my dad had a heart attack. My
grandfather had a heart attack. Food I think is important,
and All Town Fresh we have created a very sort
(04:01):
of clean food eco system where our guests can come
in and enjoy healthier for you options. So if you've
got your kids in the car, you can get the
bad stuff. If you want it, but you can also
get really clean, healthy food if that's your choice. Now
we have go ahead. We have about and we have
(04:23):
about three hundred UH SEA stores that we own and
operate as well.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
What type of stores did you say.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Sea stores and restaurants, convenience stores.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And restore when you so, when you said sea stores,
I wasn't. I was thinking, are we talking about the ocean? No?
With so convenience stores?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Okay, yeah, convenient Yeah, convenience. But but one of the
things that we've started to do is over the last
decade is put food into all of those locations and
make sure that we're providing sort of the highest and
best guest services that we possibly can.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
So you do you have UH stores and plazas on
the Connecticut Turnpike, and you have four locations in Massachusetts.
They're not on the pike, as I understand?
Speaker 4 (05:11):
That?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (05:12):
Are they on that that? That is correct?
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So we're talking about twenty four and four five side yep,
And then you're you're talking about Barnstable and you're also
talking about Beverly as well.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Okay, so no, none, nothing either on the pike or
on one twenty.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And on the Pike and on the pike, we actually
operate the gas and we and we operate the convenience
stores on the Turnpike as well. So currently where we're
already there and you know, we're already there operating these sides.
So there's it's a total eleven of them that we're
(05:53):
we're in there and we're currently operating. Okay, so we
have mixed yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Okay, I just I just think that I'm I don't
to confuse people. So you have currently a presence on
the pike both in terms of selling gas and food.
Are you in all of the eleven plausas? I think
there's eleven plazas on the pike? Is that correct?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Correct? Correct?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And those are the ones on the pike?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay, great, okay, so you're you're in effect the incumbent
on the pike.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Well, there there is a master lease. McDonald's has a
master release. So McDonald's has a master release and they
and they chose us actually part way through because they
had somebody there that left and they needed and they
needed our assistance, and so we decided to operate the
(06:41):
same thing happened those Barnstable, Beverly and the Bridgewater sites
the same thing happened. There was an incumbent there, the
incumbent left. It was if I if I can remember correctly,
I think it was a Burger King franchisee who had
won it, and they ended up giving up and we
came in to bail out those locations for the state,
(07:05):
and we've been running them for about seven years.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Okay, so you've been a good citizen, You've been a
great employer, a great Massachusetts company. I got to take
a break. There has been now an opportunity for, as
I understand it, a thirty five year lease for all
the locations on the Turnpike. And just to set the stage,
(07:32):
you appears to me, as I read the materials that
you've sent, you had the most competitive bid, meaning the
most competitive bid which would return the most benefit to
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And yet you have lost out
(07:53):
on the selection process to a company not from New England,
not from the United States, but from across the pond
in Ireland. Which is why I'm having you on tonight
because you have sent a very direct I might add,
in a very well written letter to the Governor of Massachusetts,
and we're going to talk about what your complaint is
(08:15):
you feel at this point that this that this process
has been unfair. Uh, and you're going to talk about it,
and we're going to invite people to join the conversation
as for the for the balance of this hour, I
hope everybody will be willing to join in and chime
in because this is one that I think the governor
has to pay attention to. She's the only person who
(08:37):
can turn this situation around. And this is a situation
which is going to cost potentially cost Massachusetts revenue over
the next thirty five years. You're actually ponying up or
committing more funds than the company from Ireland, and yet
they have been designated as the winner. Six one, seven, two, five,
(08:59):
four ten, six seven. We're going to shine a spotlight
here and you make the decisions. We're coming back with
my guest, Eric Sliffler. He's the president sliff Cup, President
and CEO of Global Partners, a big Massachusetts company that
at this point has been pushed to the side. Back
(09:19):
on Nightside right after these messages.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Eric, you sent this letter to the governor earlier? Was
it earlier this week or last week. It was last Thursday, Okay,
So so you know she's had hopefully a chance to
see it. Whenever we talk about numbers on radio, it's
very difficult. So why don't you explain to my to
(09:50):
me and threw me to my audience, why your offer
is my best offer for the state of Massachusetts. This
is a thirty five year state contract that, as you're right,
has been awarded to a foreign owned, private equity backed company,
while a fourth generation Massachusetts based employer who are for
(10:10):
the state, nearly nine hundred million more in guaranteed rent
is passed over. Break it down first, Eric, This to
me is astonishing.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yeah, we think it's astonishing too. You know, honestly, I
do not understand how the Mascot commissioners could land where
they did. Now they have an RFP criteria.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That RFP is a request for proposal, it's the invitation.
Just so that again, I want my audience to follow this.
So I don't mean to interrupt you, but I just
want to make sure that you and I might understand that.
But I want everyone in my audience to know that
the state is obligated to send out a request for proposal.
Anyone can apply. How many companies applied.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I'm gonna guess for four, okay, fair.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Enough, Okay. So it's not the type of project that
every Tom, Dick and Harry who has a pickup truck
can apply for. You've got to be a pretty substantial
company to apply, and you got obviously qualify. Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yeah, And this is you know, don't get me wrong,
this is a big deal. You know. One of the
things too, that's a little bit more unique is we
also have the terminals that supply these facilities as well,
and we're also supplying those terminals cargoes and barges, and
then we send it out by trucks to supply to
(11:40):
apply each location. And I don't believe any of the
other bidders actually own those assets in the markets to
supply these assets.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
So essentially, I don't mean to interrupt here, but I
just want to put it into language that everybody understood.
You do this thing, as we would say, from soup
to nuts, your whole shooting match.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Go ahead, yep.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Okay. So this is the eye popping number, Dan. We
have a guaranteed rent number guaranteed can't be can't be
any less of one point five billion dollars over the
thirty five years. It's a lot of money our competitor,
(12:25):
depending on how they count, because their bit is not firm,
it's not guaranteed risk rent and it has risk associated
with It could be six hundred and twenty three million
on the low end and it could be nine hundred
and ninety four million on the high end, but that's
(12:45):
no guarantee. It's just in the range. So there's nothing
firm on that. So what I would say to all
the listeners, and this is the most important thing. You know,
the state could be leaving one hundred million dollars on
the table at a beer minimum, they're leaving five or
(13:05):
six hundred million on the table. And given where we
are today as a state and all of the priorities
that we have, and look we're local, we do spend
a lot of money on charity. We invest in the community.
You know, our people here go to work every day
(13:29):
to help others and not just spend money, but spend
time in the field, building houses, doing all sorts of things.
So we know that it's important for the state to
have as much money as it possibly can. Well, here
it is they've walked away for between five hundred and
a billion dollars five hundred million and a billion dollars
(13:52):
that could be used to do good in the state.
Never mind, it could be used for transportation too. Right.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This decision was made by what is called the Massachusetts
Department of Transportation Board. Okay, So who appoints who? I
don't need the names, but are these full time state employees?
A are they, you know, political appointees who get designated
to be on this board.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
They are appointed by the governor, and there is eleven
board members, and they come from various places throughout the state.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Okay, And you want to assume that they're legitimate and
they're honest people, and I'm willing to make that assumption.
But somehow, some way they did not get a clear
I can't imagine if they had this clear view. Now
you mentioned in the letter to the governor, I'm going
(14:50):
to put it on you. You say this gap that
you're just talking about, these numbers aren't close. This gap
is astounding. Despite this, Mascot's chief developpment officer misled the
mas DOT board by stated were very close. Now very close,
of course, is a subjective judgment. It's like me saying
(15:12):
the rid Sox are very close to winning the World Series.
We will know whether they win the World Series or
not sometime by the end of October. But I can
say that's very close. I don't see how when there's
a difference of a potentially nine hundred million dollars that
that's very close. How could this chief Development officer come
(15:35):
to that conclusion because I'm assuming, as the title would reflect,
a chief Development officer understands financial development. That's what a
chief development officer does.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Yes, you would assume that that's what the development officer does.
We had a meeting with the Development officer where he
confused gallons and revenue and he had difficulty describing what
they both meant to the state. And so he certainly
(16:11):
is the one who led the meeting. We had a
public meeting where we had three hundred people showed up
on our behalf to support us and to get the message, yep,
And to get the message and to get the message out.
And even after we spoke for you know, people spoke
for ninety minutes, many of them spoke in favor, and
(16:35):
you know, the boards would have just went on It's
merry way. I would you know what I would what
I would hope for is I would strongly urge the
mas DOT commissioners to look at this and to do
what's right for the state, for the people of the commonwealth.
You know, almost a billion dollars in thirty five years.
(16:56):
What do we know is going to happen, that there's
going to be an increase?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And tophies right by example? Okay, well, here is almost
a billion dollars that could have went to the roadways
to keep those rates lower that are now going to
have to Yeah, that are now going to have to
be increased because of it. And so you know, I
don't I don't think that they've done their job. I
(17:22):
don't think they've represented the people of the commonwealth. I
think they never provided us with a side by side
comparison of our offer and apple Green's offer, and and
and frankly, you know, to the board they didn't do
that either, right, So I think that's uh. I think
that's an egregious error. And and they only in the
(17:45):
public meeting they only gave apple Green's numbers, right, they
didn't say that.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I see something in your letter which would which bothers
me even more. You said that you wrote quote to
make matters worse. When question by a board member about
the reliability of your competitors' numbers Apple Green, this development
officer opened his response stating he wanted to focus on
(18:11):
the recommendation and not talk bad about the other bidders,
and then he stated that he found the the numbers
from Applegreen more reliable. How can he make such a
decision that a set proposal is more reliable that theirs
(18:34):
was more reliable than yours. You're the only company that
operated convenience stores and fueling stations. You have all of
this experience. This is you wrote a really good letter.
So far, no response from the governor, I assume correct.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I mean, look, we're operating locations today. Yeah, we're operating
him in another state in Connecticut as well. This is
our business, right, and we have lots of stations in Connecticut,
and we have lots of stations in Massachusetts, you know,
and so, but more importantly than that, the thing that
hurts the most is we are local, and you know,
(19:16):
and you know we chose and have partnered with Commonwealth Kitchen, Okay,
Jen Fagel, and you know she supports these local entrepreneurs
who I've been really fortunate enough to meet over time
who want to do food and she helps to get
(19:37):
them organized and support them on the way out the door.
They have sixty five million dollars a year revenue there.
I mean, this is a real business she's created. And
because we're local Jen, who is by the way, an
amazing person, we partnered with her because we knew this
was best for the States. So, you know, there's a
(19:58):
whole bunch of things here that don't feel right.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Let me from Eric, let me do this because I'm
into my newscast here, So let me let me give
you a chance to breathe for a second. You've answered
all my questions. I think that I think there. You know,
there's a prime e facia case here, uh to to
take another look and make sure make sure that everything
adds up and then at a minimum, at a minimum,
(20:26):
have the governor involved in this, and then have the
board take a fresh look. Again. This is not like
we're taking we're picking a company from New Hampshire, Connecticut.
We're picking a company from another country, uh and another
another continent. Actually, And I'm not here to hurt Applegreen.
I'm here, Uh. I know nothing about their company. Uh,
(20:46):
but but it seems to me that that on the surface,
your numbers, and I've looked at the numbers that you've
provided in this letter to the governor. She has to
pay attention to the numbers. I can I can read numbers,
and I can read letters, and I can read URRFPS.
So let's let's open up phone lines. We'll go to
phone lines, see what what the people in Massachusetts think.
(21:08):
Six one, seven, two, five four thirty six one seven,
nine three one thirty. My guest is the president and
CEO of Global Partners, e Waltham based Massachusetts company, hundreds
of employees here in Massachusetts, thousands of employees around the country.
Eric Sliffcomb, the president and CEO, is my guest. You
(21:28):
can ask him any question you want. Will be back
on night Side right after this.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'MBZ Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
My guest is Eric Slipcup, He's the president and CEO
of Global Partners.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
We're going to go to phone calls and see what
people have to say about this. I mean, you may
look this as another deal, another Massachusetts deal, But I'm
tired of this stuff and I want openness and I
would like to see. Has the ever been an explanation
given to you in writing that says, gee, thank you
(22:05):
for your application, but we've decided to go in a
different direction. We found that, uh, you know, your RFP
was was lacking in this area. I mean, if if
you applied to go to a college, or someone applies
to go to goes to a college, they have a
sense of what their their board scores are. If you
(22:27):
if you're applying for a job, you have a sense
of how qualified you are. You're extraordinarily qualifying, and your
numbers I think pretty clearly more advantageous to come Wealth
of Massachusetts. No one ever came to and said, you know,
we've got a problem with with how you've handled things
in the past. There's no explanation here. It's just they win,
you lose.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
That's you know that, said Dan. I mean at the
public meeting, we stated our case given the information that
they had had let out, but shorder of that, they
simply took a vote. It almost didn't matter that the
numbers were a billion dollars and they sat up there,
took a vote, all gave a vote and went with
(23:11):
apple Green.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Okay, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Plain and simple. That's all. Nothing else, right, they'll.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Go they've gone that way. Let's see what Let's see
what the the listeners think here. They're they're the most
important constituency that I have. Let's go. First off, Uh
going to go to Peabody and we're going to talk
with Sal in pvty. Sal you were first up this
hour with Eric Slifka, President and CEO of Global Partners.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
Go ahead, Sal, Hey, Dan, how you doing? I'm doing
this is yeah, a long time listener, Thank you very much.
You know what what is really happening here? It makes
no sense at all. So I'm listening to this guy,
Mike Irvin. He's excellent, by the way, on critical issues.
(24:00):
And he said the guy running the meeting didn't even
know the difference between gallons and dollars.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, well, I'm not sure. I'm not sure who Mike
urban is. First of all, the person who's my guest
is Eric Slifka, President and CEO of Global.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
This guy, Mike, does you know he talks about critical
issues impacting us as?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Uh? Who is he? I have no idea If you
want to tell.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Me anyway, I don't. He's got like a YouTube channel.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Oh well, if he's got a YouTube channel, Look, do
me a favorite. And I'm being on a cell. I
have no idea who he is. If you said to
me Roger Clements said this, I at least would know
who Roger Clemens would be, probably if Roger's talking about baseball.
But I don't know who this fellow is. So let's
just let's get the response to your comment from the
(24:55):
fellow who's in the midst of this and I think
knows a lot about it, Eric slifk, Eric, go right ahead.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
So so Sal, good to meet you, Thanks for calling in. Look,
it's it's a billion dollars, uh more than what their
alternative that they chose is. And that's the problem, right,
And and they've I think they've completely shirked their responsibilities
(25:21):
and they did not go with the company that throughout
that request for proposal the five areas. You know, we
we shined in every one of those areas. We we
scored great and but they haven't told us, and they
haven't told us why, and so we don't know other
than the dollars or a billion dollars off that's huge money, huge, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Well, Sal, I appreciate you, cal If you talked to
Mike the fellow you mentioned, tell that. Dan Ray says, along, Okay, I.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Will I will do that. No, thanks you very much,
thanks for having me. I appreciate it, and you know,
I really it really would be nice for the state
to come clean on this, and uh again, be nice
for that.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
It would be nice for the state to come clean
on this and come clean on everything. We need more transparency.
This is what ton Ton the government has always talked
about transparency, explained to us.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
If there's a reason she had Dan no real quick.
Didn't she run on transparency.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Amongst other things? Yeah? Absolutely. Everybody says I'll be the
most transparent whatever, and then when they get in into office,
it's tough to find them. You ever buyd fight.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
Its driving me crazy. But anyway, look, I'll let you
guys go. Let's see what you called. I appreciate it.
Thanks you, great night, Thanks sir.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
All right, six ten thirty. I got a couple of
lines at six one, seven, nine thirty if you want
to get in. We got to take a quick break here,
coming right back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
All right back to the phones, were go going to
talk with law and in Atedinburgh. Lauren, you're next on
Nightside with Eric Slifka, the president and CEO of Global Partners.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
Go ahead, Lauren, Hi, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Well, I don't know where Lauren went here, Rob, She
must have probably pushed the button wrong. So we'll come
back to Lauren in a moment, and let's go to
Phil in Boston. Phil, you're next on Nightside. Phil. Right ahead,
How you.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Doing the holdings above my pay grade? The bottom line
is this wasn't a mass pike supposed to be free.
After all the bills are played off.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
That's that's a pride that goes back to the nineteen nineties.
I think so and bill Well. Bill Well did a
lot of that. He took down tolls for you.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
Yeah, he tried, Yeah, yeah, Dann this I got there.
I'm like this, this fella, I don't know the guy.
He's the guy. I apparently he's educated, he's lived here,
whose whole life. He can probably just spart a cloudlessky
and no one is gonna snow out and he'll be
he'll be order an extra rock iceerers for the guys
that come in there, I mean, and they gut why
(28:10):
why don't these people get together, okay, and transparency, transparency
and send them to island for a few days, over
the country years and see what they do. How do
they operate? Are they good? Are they good? If this
guy's going go to what and it's going on one
of his facilities that are operating somewhere while we go
over there. And then you mentioned the graand versus the
(28:31):
pound or the mead, they're gonna be a different systems.
They're gonna be a needed and a European dollar, English
dollar versus.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Do Sorry, well, Phil, I think you raised points. And
again sometimes I think if it's a close call, the
home team should have the advantage, of course, okay, And
this to me isn't a close call, and the home
steam is still getting the short end of the stick apparently,
so you know. And by the way, if someone from
Apple Green wants to come on and discuss it with
(29:01):
me tomorrow, they're more than welcome. I just hope the
governor takes a good, hard, honest look at this. And
I don't think that's too much to ask just.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
To make a shop if I leave, if it's almost
like going to a pizza shop and they say well,
do you want to cook pizza or do you want
the cold pizza? If you got to ring on a freeze,
well let me you can take the frozen pizza. That'll
be good for me. Had more money, get the cook piza.
I mean, come on, all right, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
All right, all right, I'll let you right, okay, Well.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Thank you, thank Hey, Hey Dan, Yes, right ahead, Hey Dan,
I just want to point one thing out. You know,
following on Apple Green's history. You know, Apple Green had
won the State of New York's Turnpike bed. Okay, they
had a two hundred and sixty million dollars over on
(29:55):
fifty eight percent of the total project cost, and they
acts the task payers to bail them out in New York.
So that's that's their history of the most recent deal
that they've done.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Okay, yeah, and look, and you can.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Have problems, but fifty eight percent, yeah, overrun, that's like unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Let me keep rolling here, Okay, let me go to
Ruby in Foxborough. Ruby, you are next on Nightside with
my guest Eric.
Speaker 6 (30:29):
Thank you for taking my Callome. I want to thank you, Dan.
I want to sut what this is slipped I said
earlier It's like, this is a company that's been around
for four generations, nearly one hundred years. They're very local.
I frequent the All Town Fresh in Easton, and not
(30:53):
only for the great food, fresh food, but they also
it's a wonderful place to be and they're also extremely charitable.
This family and this company has done so much. And
you know that because when you're in the store, they're
donating food to the food pantry, they're having coffee with cops.
(31:13):
They host the community, you can get gift cards for
your kids hockey games. The thing is, the sense that
I get is that they meet the people where they're at.
So they're generous on the big scale, which we know
and because they're one of the most generous companies in
(31:34):
the state, but they're also generous at the local level.
They meet the people where they're at. They take care
of everybody in the community, and that's what brings people together.
And I think that's important, this kindness, this especially now
more than ever, I think this matters. And I don't
know if you could put, you know, quantify that in
(31:57):
this process, but I think it's worth noting and it's
a huge factor.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And and again, their bid according to the numbers that
I've looked at. Uh. Not only is the competitive bid,
is the best bid in terms of Massachusetts and they
have experienced So Ruby is a tough one. This is
a tough one to understand.
Speaker 6 (32:20):
And they and I know people who have received free
home heating oil. So they take what they have and
then they give it away and they donate it and
they take care of their communities. And I really think
the governor is making a giant mistake because here's a
local company that's taking care of its neighbors. You have
(32:41):
somebody coming in who wins a bid from a foreign country.
They don't know the people, and this company knows the community,
it knows everybody.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Ruby made You made the points, you made them well.
But I got to grab one of the call here
before before the hour is over.
Speaker 6 (32:57):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Thank you, good night. Let me go to Ruth. Ruth,
go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
Hi, Eric, my name is Ruth, and first I want
to express my condolences on the loss of your uncle.
And really my call is to echo what Ruby said.
This is one of the most philanthropic families in the state,
and they do good and they never say no, and
(33:31):
and it's also a fourth generation company, so they know
what they're doing. So I just like my purpose of
calling was to say what Ruby said, but I'm just
echoing it.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I appreciate that, Ruth,
Thank you very much. Let me get one, Thank you, Ruth.
One more call in here if I can. John and Marshfield,
you're under the wire. I give you about twenty seconds.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
Go ahead, John, Okay, Dan, how you doing it? Listen? Eric,
I feel your pain because I am a taxpayer in
Massachusetts and my thought on this would be this is
kind of what you get when you have a one
party system in our states. So I hope the governor's
paying attention. But she wasn't paying attention with our electric rates?
Speaker 6 (34:20):
Was she?
Speaker 5 (34:21):
Did?
Speaker 8 (34:21):
I think you had a show on that.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Oh yeah, well there's again there's all sorts of questions here,
and let's try to get some answers. And again I
offer if Apple Green wants to come on to tomorrow
night and discuss the comparative bids or at any point,
they will be more than welcome. John. I appreciate you call,
and I agree with you. One party, stay with Hill.
Speaker 8 (34:41):
Luck Eric, good luck. All right, thank you, Eric.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Is there any way that my audience, and I only
have a few seconds left, can help you out?
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Here?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Can? What would you suggest? Contact the Governor's office.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Contact the Governor's office, go to www dot globalppasn'peter dot com.
So www dot globalp dot com. There'll be a red banner.
Click on the banner and you can write the letter
to whoever you choose there. But more importantly than that,
I want to call out the board of mass dot
(35:18):
and I want them to release the bidst right they
if they're so certain about their choice, they need to
release the details of the bids and get this over
with and show us that we're right or we're wrong.
I'm ready to step up and do what it takes.
They ought a too, don't hide, be straight and stand
(35:39):
up and.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Let's let's have some transparency. Eric, I appreciate the call.
I appreciate your time tonight. And again, I'm honest. If
Applegreen wants an equivalent hour any night this week or whenever,
we'll do it. We'll do it. And but I suspect
they won't call. We'll see what happens if Eric, keep
us in touch on this and let us know how
it works out. Thank you so.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Much, you gotta Dan, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Good night. When we get back, we're going to talk
about the Middle East cease fire, no cease fire now
a ceasefire one of the results. We got lots of questions.
Hopefully you've got comments coming back on Nightside
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