Pilgrim Pride has reached a five-year agreement with FuelQuest to use that company’s FuelQuest Fuel Center for bulk-fuel management services at its 30 fleet fueling locations in the U.S.
According to FuelQuest, Fuel Center reduces fuel costs between 4 and 6 cents per gallon, centralizes control and predictability of fuel budget, increases supply chain security, lowers administrative burden and improves invoice reconciliation, and increases access to fuel-market expertise.
“In recent years, Pilgrim has seen rising food production costs on a number of fronts, including fuel. Adding volatility on top of these high prices has made it even more difficult to hit our budget targets,” said Jim Mullin, head of energy procurement at Pilgrim’s Pride. “When we began the process last year of centralizing our fuel procurement and lowering our overall fuel costs, it became clear that FuelQuest was the best option for us. Now we can achieve our bulk fuel management goals, and that ultimately drives bottom-line savings.”
Fuel Center forecasts and sources fuel, acting as a supplier for the customer. There are also dashboards available so customers can monitor their return on investment.
“We are pleased to have a market leader, such as Pilgrim’s Pride, adopt our outsourced fuel management service,” said Ryan Mossman, vice president and general manager for Fuel Center. “Fleet-based companies from every industry are feeling the pressure of rising fuel costs and market volatility. Our ability to drive greater fuel spend predictability and optimize fuel management operations – from procurement to reconciliation – helps these companies gain better control over this significant expense.”
Pilgrim Pride is a majority-owned subsidiary of JBS USA, a geographic segment of Brazilian meat-producer JBS S.A. It is the second largest chicken producer with operations in the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
