"Our team recognizes the benefits of automating our tax compliance and determination," said Gerry Molina, CIO of Maxum. "We hope to realize increased efficiencies which will ultimately save our organization time and money. Reallocating these resources will provide our team the opportunity to focus on what they do best."

"FuelQuest is pleased to partner with Maxum to address their excise tax compliance needs as they aggressively grow their fuel distribution network," said Matt Tormollen, president and CEO of FuelQuest. "FuelQuest's Zytax solutions are best in class and simultaneously reduce business risk and the resources necessary to ensure compliance with fuel-related excise taxes."

Maxum Petroleum, Inc., based in Greenwich, CT, is a leading independent energy logistics company that markets and distributes a comprehensive offering of refined petroleum products and services to commercial and industrial customers.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Zytax, a wholly owned subsidiary of FuelQuest, Inc., supplies strategic software automation solutions for global indirect tax determination and excise motor fuel compliance for the energy industry. Zytax solutions provide complete visibility across the tax organization increasing the ability to track, forecast and report tax obligations while mitigating risk and reducing fines, fees and penalties.

Specific to its lubricants business, the company says, Ashland Consumer Markets' sales were $400 million, 3 percent above the December 2008 quarter. Total lubricant volume increased by 22 percent versus an unusually weak prior-year quarter. Same-store sales at Valvoline Instant Oil Change increased 4 percent over the prior year. Gross profit was 33.9 percent of sales in the December 2009 quarter versus 21.8 percent in the year-ago quarter and 35.5 percent in the September 2009 quarter. The sequential reduction was primarily due to higher raw material costs and lower private-label margins, partially offset by higher selling prices beginning in November. While SG&A expenses rose 10 percent over the year-ago quarter, largely the result of higher advertising expenses, SG&A declined 8 percent sequentially. Overall, Consumer Markets' quarterly EBITDA was $76 million, as compared with $28 million in the year-ago quarter, and was slightly less than the $79 million earned in the seasonally stronger September 2009 quarter. EBITDA margins were 19.0 percent and 7.2 percent of sales in the December 2009 and 2008 quarters, respectively. The December 2009 quarter marks the fourth consecutive quarter with EBITDA margins above 18 percent.