THE IRVING IRISH CONNECTION????

ireland, originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

(Left to right: AIMS Chairman, David McD. Mann; AIMS Director,
John F. Irving; Special Guest, Governor Angus King; New Brunswick
Premier Bernard Lord; Guest Speaker, Dr. Garret FitzGerald;
and AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley.) John f. lives on Rocky Terrace , father John e. 'jack' lives near-by, you see them in Burger King and McDonalds

From the "PORT Saint John"

MAY 27 05

Celebrating AIMS' 10th anniversary: The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies stages a dinner at the Delta Brunswick in Saint John featuring Dr. Garret FitzGerald, the former pime minister of Ireland. His topic is The Celtic Tiger: Ireland and its Lessons for Atlantic Canada.


wow, that dinner between irving & "Ireland' must have been a good one,,,,,,

April 8, 2006


Irving Oil Eyes Global Expansion

NEW BRUNSWICK, Canada -- Irving Oil, along with at least a dozen oil companies from around the world, may be eyeing the Irish gas station subsidiary of Norway's oil and gas giant Statoil ASA for acquisition, reported CanadaEast.com.

The Stavanger-based Statoil operates 60 percent of all Norwegian oil and gas production, as well as activities in 32 countries. In Ireland, it owns 300 Statoil-branded gas stations.

A.F. Alhajji, an energy economist with Ohio Northern University, said in the report the move would certainly put Irving Oil on a path toward global business with its retail gas bars and convenience stores.

"In terms of experience, they have it. What they are really missing is a taste of Europe," he told CanadaEast.com. "By going to Europe, this is one step toward a global business."

For its part, Irving Oil would neither confirm nor deny it is interested in the acquisition.

"We don't comment on potential acquisitions or divestitures, but we're always looking for new ways to grow our business," Jennifer Parker, an Irving Oil spokeswoman, said in the report.

Besides the Saint John oil refinery, Canada's largest, Irving Oil owns and operates more than 500 convenience stores in eastern Canada and New England primarily under the brand Bluecanoe. It has also partnered with Repsol YPF, the largest private energy company in Latin America, to develop an liquified natural gas terminal in the Port City, according to the report.

Alhajji said in the report Irving's dominance in the downstream oil industry makes it perfectly suited to jump into Ireland's market.

"They are suited to take over, basically, because they are focused to serving the consumer at the end," he told CanadaEast.com.

Bill Simpkins, an energy industry consultant in Halifax, said in the report that convenience stores are profitable operations for oil companies. The market for quick to-go foods and beverages can be quite lucrative.

"I think overall the Irving companies are very astute in terms of where they invest," he said.

However, the Ireland acquisition isn't large enough to take Irving's business solidly global. Alhajji estimated it's likely only worth about $273 million.

"The whole deal is a small deal. So, we're not talking about a multibillion-dollar acquisition," he told CanadaEast.com.

Still, the implications are huge for Irving Oil, which has until now operated its predominantly Maritime and New England business in close proximity to its corporate home base in New Brunswick.