Continuing with our introduction of valued members of the Core Fuels family, this month we engage with Paul Muma, who now has three years under his belt with the company. Paul’s history in the fuel industry, however, is a long one, dating back to the 1980s when he lived in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and worked for the now-defunct Pacific Western Airlines. Always keen for an adventure, Paul jumped at an opportunity to fly on a Hercules cargo plane to deliver furnace oil into the remote Yukon community of Old Crow, the northernmost non-Inuit community in North America. Paul admired the friendly and resilient folks of Old Crow and the experience eventually led him to a career in the fuel industry, primarily as a fuel truck driver and salesperson—roles that he now admirably fills for Core Fuels.
Though driving and selling are Paul’s official responsibilities, his role is far more encompassing. “I’m a hands-on guy,“ says Paul. “When we’re installing a new tank at a customer’s place, I can’t just stand there and watch our technicians do the work. I pick up the tools and jump right in. That’s who I am!” Not surprisingly, our customers have quickly come to see him as a face of Core Fuels, and when they have questions on anything or need anything done they call him. “I can get calls from customers any day of the week almost any time of the day”, notes Paul. “I don’t mind at all”, he says. “It’s all about providing timely service for our customers, which I find highly rewarding. Even though I don’t socialize with our customers, I’ve come to think of many of them as friends. Who isn’t going to help a friend, no matter what the issue?”
Apart from serving our customers, Paul’s other passion is heading up to cottage country where, four hours from his home, stands a special cottage built by his grandfather in the 1950s. “The cottage is my happy place”, says Paul. “There’s an endless number of things to do up at the cottage, be it fixing an old outboard or paddling the canoe out on the lake. I just love it up there.”
At Core Fuels we’re thrilled to have a people-person and hands-on guy like Paul serve as a face of our company for many of our wonderful customers. Having employees like Paul is one of the reasons we’re so trusted in the communities we serve. We’re hopeful that Paul can finish off his career in the fuel industry with Core Fuels—some time well down the line!