Member Feature: Tim Winters

Tim Winters

Tim Winters, Managing Director of Operations for Sprague Energy and ILTA Chairman, has been in the energy business most of his professional life.

“I started as an officer on oil tankers after graduating from Maine Maritime Academy,” said Winters, who later began his terminal industry work around 2003. His passion is rooted in knowing how integral the industry is in supporting the nation's supply chain.

“Living in New England, the importance of heating fuels is very evident,” Winters explained. “Storing and transporting these products is a vital necessity. Knowing that I play a small role in helping supply these vital commodities and do it in a safe and secure manner brings a great deal of satisfaction.”

Over the years, Winters has witnessed a variety of changes and evolutions in the industry – a trend he expects will continue into the future.

 “We all remember the prediction of peak energy, yet there is more available today than ever,” he said, noting that in the past, he never thought he’d see the U.S. as energy independent. “I never foresaw that tank terminals would put solar panels on the roof of a tank!”

In the future, Winters anticipates seeing an increase in industry regulations, not fewer.

“I see that the fuels we store will become greener,” he said. “I believe we will see a change to a new source of energy in our lifetimes. I see that terminal companies will continue to play an important role in the future—storing everything from energy, to chemicals, to raw materials, to food products.”

Looking to the future as ILTA Chairman, Winters says the pandemic has taught us that we cannot take the phrase “business as usual” for granted.

“The ILTA workforce was forced to adapt to this new realit y– working remotely, collaborating with others via Zoom, and dealing with an uncertain future based on COVID restrictions,” he said. “As an institution, we need to be ready to adapt, as well. We need to be able to continue to recruit and retain the top talent on our staff to keep us relevant and important.”

In a business climate that challenges ILTA’s member companies, Winters emphasizes the need to ensure the delivery of value in excess of their contribution – something he says ILTA’s President, Kathryn Clay, and the organization’s staff have accomplished.

“The most common comment I hear is how we ‘punch above our weight class’ when it comes to advocacy,” Winters said. “Though we have faced significant challenges, ILTA needs to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice to continue to fight and advocate for our members – no matter the environment we are forced to operate in. We need to be ready for ‘business as unusual.’”

2021 saw the establishment of ILTA’s Environment, Social, and Government principles (ESG), introduced by past Chairman, Bernt Netland. Moving forward through 2022, Winters spoke about how ILTA looks to continue those efforts.

“Bernt shepherded us through a passionate dialog about what is important as good neighbors to those we live and operate around; this was met with a great deal of enthusiasm,” Winters said. “The next step is to make sure our members understand we are behind our own ESG principles and those initiatives their own companies have, as well. We will continue to discuss and promulgate these to a wider audience looking for even greater acceptance.”

Winters encourages those who are considering joining a liquid terminal company to go for it.

“If you want to be an important part of the supply chain, get to work both inside and outside, like a fast-paced environment and enjoy having responsibility, sign up for the terminal business,” he said, encouraging those already in the industry to become members of ILTA. “If you want to be heard by those that make the rules and regulations that shape our industry, if you want to be part of an organization that helps deliver on safety and sustainability promises, if you want to collaborate and learn from others in the industry, then you need to join ILTA!

“If you are not a member, come to our conference and tradeshow and see what value we can provide. If you are a member, please be sure to attend and consider also coming to an EHS&S committee meeting.”

In his spare time, Winters enjoys staying involved in the community and hitting the putting green.

“I recently completed seven years on the board of a nonprofit fighting food insecurity and am looking for a new opportunity to serve on a board,” Winters said, adding that he’s continuing to work on his life-long goal of becoming a better golfer. “You can find me at the ILTA golf outing in June, if you are up to the challenge!”

Courtesy of ILTA.