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BPN Staff

Compiled by BPN Staff

 

  • Equipment

    Landscape Company Upgrades All Equipment to Propane

    Historically, Tarantino Landscapes (Bridgeport, Conn.) has used mowers and pickup trucks that ran on gasoline. Over the past couple years, the business, which is a sister company of propane company Hocon Gas (Shelton, Conn.), is going through the process of switching its entire fleet of trucks and equipment to run on propane. Tarantino is a full-service landscape company that works on commercial and residential properties, schools, and parks. It includes a separate division for baseball, football, and soccer field renovation and maintenance, mound and base installation for baseball fields, and field lining. For residential customers, the business provides services such as spring clean-up, tree or shrub plantings, or planting a completely new garden. Tarantino’s website states, “Tarantino Landscapes has made it a priority to use...

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  • Equipment

    40 Years of Dedication To Propane Equipment

    Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, LPG & NH 3 Supply (Buffalo, Minn.) got its start when Gary Koch left his position at Gas Supply. It was early 1976, and Gary started his own company, LPG & NH 3 Supply. Gary was later joined at LPG & NH 3 Supply by his father, Herb Koch, after he also left his position at Gas Supply. In the beginning, LPG & NH 3 Supply specialized in bulk plant construction. Over time, the company’s focus turned to wholesale equipment distribution, but plant construction remains part of the company’s business. Now the third-generation company offers a complete line of propane and anhydrous ammonia equipment from manufacturers such as RegO Products, Blackmer, Corken, Algas-SDI, Modine, Alternative Energy Systems, and L.B....

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  • Feature Articles

    Largest family-owned school bus contractor quadruples propane school bus fleet

    (Georgetown, TX) July 19, 2016 – CleanFUEL USA announced that Cook-Illinois Corporation, the largest family owned and operated school bus contractor in the United States and the sixth largest among all school bus companies nationwide, is quadrupling its current fleet of propane autogas school buses for next year and, for the first time ever, has not purchased any diesel buses. Its most recent order includes 50 Saf-T-Liner C2 units from Thomas Built Buses equipped with CleanFUEL USA Liquid Propane Injection (LPI) systems. School districts across the country are shifting their bus fleets from diesel fuel to propane autogas to stretch strained budgets and promote cleaner air. Roger Bannerman, fleet director for Cook-Illinois Corporation, is leading the trend and experiencing significant ROI. “We’ve had a big...

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  • Feature Articles

    IC BUS FULFILLS LARGEST PROPANE BUS ORDER TO DATE

    (INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) July 15, 2016 – IC Bus announced it will fulfill an order by the Indianapolis Public Schools of 100 CE Series school buses, powered by the Power Solutions International (PSI) 8.8-liter LP propane engine. The buses will be delivered by the IC Bus dealer, Midwest Transit Equipment, in Whitestown, Indiana. “IC Bus is proud to partner with Indianapolis Public Schools and we look forward to helping them with their transportation needs for this school year and beyond,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager, IC Bus. “Additionally, this order demonstrates our customers’ continued confidence in our products and acknowledges the significant benefits of our propane engine offering.” Purpose-built for the school bus industry, the CE Series with PSI propane engine is designed...

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  • Feature Articles

    Industry Members Make Presence Known on Capitol Hill

    As Congress was busy preparing to break for the Memorial Day recess, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) was gearing up for its 12th annual Propane Days fly-in May 24 to 25. After taking care of NPGA’s internal business the previous day, the Propane Days attendees were eager to kick off the program. The day began with a breakfast briefing from NPGA’s legislative team on the issue “asks” for this year’s Hill visits. These included asking members to support the 34-hour restart provision for truck drivers; back propane autogas initiatives; oppose excessive entry-level driver training rules; and conduct a review of the Department of Transportation’s small pipeline system regulations. Following this briefing, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) was welcomed to the stage by New York Propane...

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  • Feature Articles

    Industry Growth, Emergency Prep Among New NPGA Chair’s Goals

    Stuart Weidie, president and CEO of Blossman Gas (Ocean Springs, Miss.), was sworn in as chairman of the board of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) on May 23, 2016, in Washington, D.C. He laid out various goals for his term, including development of additional energy infrastructure and enactment of legislation to ensure that propane is not exported during emergency situations. After taking office along with a new slate of officers ahead of Propane Days, Weidie addressed attendees at the association’s board meeting and listed three goals that he described as “general objectives, but they need to be transferred into specific actionable items.” He expanded on those goals in an interview with BPN after the meeting, listing his first goal as “identifying and advancing specific...

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  • Feature Articles

    CHS Acquires Lucky’s Propane in Minnesota

    (STARBUCK, MINN.) July 10, 2016 – Deciding to retire after 12 years of service, the owners of Lucky’s Propane, Randy and Jackie Elmer, have sold their propane delivery and service company to CHS Inc., the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative. The Lucky’s Propane business will become part of CHS Prairie Lakes, a full-service ag retail business for CHS based out of Starbuck, Minn. The transaction was finalized on June 23, 2016. Financial details were not disclosed. “We have been blessed to have spent these past twelve years working with such wonderful customers, and we have confidence that they will be in good hands with CHS Prairie Lakes. We will miss working with everyone, but we are excited for this next adventure!” says Lucky’s owners, Randy and...

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  • Equipment

    Bobtail Requalification Extension Update

    The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) received formal clarification on July 8, 2016 from the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regarding several key aspects of the final rule to extend the hydrostatic pressure test requalification period from 5 to 10 years for certain types of bobtails. The formal letter from PHMSA is a valid correction to the final rule until PHMSA publishes the correction in the Code of Federal Regulations. PHMSA communicated the corrections to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as well. Clarifications from PHMSA include that the effective date of the final rule is July 5, 2016. Hydrostatic pressure tests performed on eligible bobtails on and after July 5, 2016 carry a 10 year requalification period. Pressure tests performed before...

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  • Feature Articles

    Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Celebrates New Sharp Energy Headquarters, Autogas Fueling Station

    (Dover, Delaware) July 7, 2016 — Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE:CPK) (Chesapeake) and Sharp Energy Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiary, have opened the new Sharp Energy headquarters building and AutoGas fueling station in Georgetown, Delaware. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held June 30, 2016 at 22945 East Piney Grove Road, Georgetown, Delaware. The event was hosted by Chesapeake and Sharp Energy and attended by state, local and Company officials. The new 18,000-square-foot building provides a central location for both customers and employees and consolidates Sharp Energy’s operations. With the construction of this new modern facility, Sharp Energy is able to house its retail and supply functions in one location, increase its storage capacity and offer a public dispensing center for AutoGas. In addition, 20 positions have moved...

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  • Feature Articles

    Alliance AutoGas Introduces Ram ProMaster® Van Conversion System

    Swannanoa, NC (June 24, 2016) The Alliance AutoGas engineered single-plug connector, no cut or drill fuel system, installed on a RAM ProMaster® was recently displayed at the Government Fleet Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. The Ram ProMaster® is in great demand in the government and service sectors, and also the second most popular European-style van on the market. The Ram ProMaster® features a 16-gallon underbody autogas tank with the conversion system. This adds to the Ram ProMaster’s front-wheel-drive system, and a 3.6L Pentastar® V6 engine. Alliance’s EPA and NFPA 58 compliant conversion system featured on the RAM ProMaster® can be installed on new or in-service vehicles in half the time of other products. These systems do not require any permanent vehicle modifications. Ed Hoffman, President of...

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