NASHVILLE — Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Mike McWherter is criticizing a $1.8 billion merger between Flying J Travel Plazas and Pilot Travel Centers LLC, which is owned by Republican candidate Bill Haslam and his family.
“This is a major addition to a growing list of concerns over Bill Haslam’s oil interests,” Mr. McWherter said of the merger, given final approval by the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday.
The McWherter campaign noted the FTC had originally filed an anti-trust complaint in which regulators cited “competitive concerns” about the merger because the deal at that point “would have likely resulted in higher diesel fuel prices for long-haul trucking fleets.”
But in a news release announcing its approval of the merger Wednesday, the FTC said issues had been settled with Pilot’s agreement to sell 26 locations “which will replace the competition lost.”
The McWherter campaign, however, says the merger will create an “Oil Goliath” that will cause competitive problems for “mom and pop” truck stop operators who now will be “forced to compete with the purchasing power of a big oil conglomerate.”
The Haslam campaign had no immediate response to the McWherter critcisms.
Pilot Corp.’s website says the merger creates an expanded network of more than 550 interstate travel centers and travel plazas focused on service and offerings for professional drivers and traveling motorists.
The new company, to be called Pilot Flying J, now operates in 43 states and six Canadian provinces and employs more than 20,000 people. Pilot says it is now one of the top 10 privately held companies in the United States.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
Forget about the oil. If Haslam gets elected there will be a traffic scamera on every corner... big brother lover. He put 15 in Knoxville
Join us http://www.facebook.com/killtncams
Bill Haslam knows how to win elections. All he does is let his money do the talking and kick back and make the easy victory.
So Big Beer attacks a fuel distributor? Wasn't, or isn't, Mike McWherter on the Board of Directors of the National Beer Wholesalers Association and in the Chairman's Circle for their PAC? Mike's a Lawyer who's a Beerseller www.nbwa.org/Resources/PDFs/Annual_Re... This one's for Bill Haslam!
OK, so let me get this straight - I'm supposed to support the trial bar's chosen one and a huge Budweiser distributor over a man who takes no salary (a $125K pay cut) for being mayor of Knoxville? Is this BizarroWorld? Has reality been suspended in the Obama era?
Mom and Pop truck stop operators? Please. They were gone 10 years ago, at the behest of large national carriers who wanted centralized billing and management. Pilot purchased Flying J out of BANKRUPTCY, and is one of the most ethical and socially responsible companies of which I am aware.
The last time I checked, Bill Haslam has no connection to BP, and he does not play a significant role in the management of Pilot Corp due to his political life.
This attack is complete Clydesdale poop from one of those horses pulling the Budweiser wagon. When you start flinging crap, the only thing for certain is that you're going to smell like it, and Stinky Mike doesn't have anything substantive to say about the race, so he's resorted to personal attacks. If I want a cat fight, I'll watch reality shows or something.
Thanks, Mike, for helping me make up my mind. I look forward to voting for Bill in both August and November.
Or login with:
New Account