As Full-Circle of Newbury Park, Calif. celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, Walt Smith reflected on how the company started with an off-hand remark. He and sales manager John Ives were setting up a booth at the Western Propane Gas Association convention in 1991 for his company, Smith Precision Products Co., which has been in business since 1938. Bob Bailey, president of Teeco Products but who was then with PACA (Pacific Carburetion Assemblies Inc.), wanted to discuss an idea he had for a swivel at the end of a bobtail delivery hose to connect the hose to the filler valve. “I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention. We are pump manufacturers. Our focus and vision is pumps, not swivels,” Smith said. But Smith followed...

WASHINGTON, DC (April 27, 2016) – The House Energy & Commerce Committee approved an amendment this week to H.R. 5050, the Pipeline Safety Act of 2016, to include a study on the regulations affecting propane jurisdictional systems. The manager’s amendment, offered by Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), was approved by a voice vote and included in the Committee’s passage of H.R. 5050. Under the current regulatory framework, propane systems that serve more than 10 customers from a single tank, or more than two if the system crosses a public way, are subject to Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) jurisdiction and regulations. Propane jurisdictional systems are subject to the same federal regulations as much larger gas distribution systems and...

At the 2016 NPGA Southeastern Convention in Nashville last week, many had the pleasure of meeting someone special. His name is Blue, and he’s the new consumer-facing spokesperson (spokedog) to help propane-related businesses improve familiarity and favorability around propane in 2016. At his keynote speech during the event, Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) CEO, Roy Willis, introduced the upcoming integrated campaign, and discussed how PERC will work to strengthen consumers’ emotional connection to propane as a brand. PERC, industry volunteers and The Richards Group, which serves as PERC’s advertising agency for the project, came up with Blue, a dog named for the color of a propane flame. Blue, the dog, accompanies his owner, a hard-working propane delivery driver, who provides service to friends and...

Propane industry press conferences and presentations, along with truck premieres, ride-and-drive opportunities, and training drew a record-setting 11,905 industry professionals to the Work Truck Show 2016 in Indianapolis. The show took place March 1-4 at the Indiana Convention Center and is produced annually by NTEA, the association for the work truck industry. Propane garnered a great deal of attention at the Green Truck Summit, held in conjunction with the Work Truck Show, which focused on alternative fuels and the latest on clean energy innovations for commercial vehicles. The Green Truck Summit session titled, “The Propane Autogas Advantage: Reduce Your Total Cost of Ownership,” included Glenn Chamberland, fleet manager for AAA Hartford Metro Emergency Road Service. Chamberland discussed how AAA Hartford’s use of propane-fueled trucks has...

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp (FCCC; Gaffney, S.C.) showcased new product innovations at the Work Truck Show last month, including its LPG MT-45 chassis. The chassis itself has been around for a while, but it now features twin autogas tanks to increase the range of the vehicle. They are dual 16×53-in. side-mounted LPG tanks with 60 gallons of total volume (shown below, center right). “On the MT side, we’re continuing to have good success, especially at the larger end of the spectrum with UPS and larger fleet buyers,” said Kevin Erb, director of public relations for FCCC’s ad agency, Ferguson Advertising. Speaking with BPN following the Work Truck Show, Erb also discussed FCCC’s S2G box truck displayed at its booth. In addition, an S2G unit outfitted...