Author

Steve Relyea

Steve Relyea has written for B2B publications for more than 30 years. He has specialized in reporting on skilled trades, small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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  • Feature Articles

    U-HAUL Buys Its First Million Gallons Of Renewable Propane

    U-Haul has made a big addition to its efforts to promote propane as a clean-burning energy source. The company has purchased its first million gallons of renewable propane. This is now available to customers at U-Haul autogas facilities across Southern California. The company says it plans for this product offering to be ongoing. “California’s goal is net zero emissions, and propane gets us there,” John Barnett, U-Haul propane program manager, tells BPN. “Going the renewable route makes a major change to emissions with no change to the engine.” Renewable propane is identical to traditional propane—it’s C3H8—so it can be used in propane engines and other equipment, he explained. At the same time, its carbon intensity (CI) score is lower. While traditional propane has a CI...

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  • Feature Articles

    NPGA To Launch $435,000 Environmental Outreach Campaign

    Propane industry advocates will soon launch a campaign to debunk the misperception of propane as anything other than a clean energy solution. During the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) 2020 fall board of directors meeting, NPGA chair Denis Gagne said bans that prohibit propane use present an “existential crisis” to the industry. He added that, in response, NPGA will collaborate with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) to reach different audiences. Some initial details were laid out during the meeting, which was held virtually on Sept. 30. NPGA will invest $435,000 in this effort during the first year. Its outreach will be directed at policymakers, while PERC’s will be aimed at consumers, marketers, and thought leaders. After the first year, to help fund NPGA’s...

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  • Beyond the Mains

    Beyond The Mains: Welcoming Newcomers

    (November 4, 2020) — For Natalie Peal, one of the most valuable parts of industry events has been the informal get-togethers she’s shared with other women who own propane businesses. She has learned a great deal while talking over dinner with her peers. “Having dinner with others is an easy way to sit and brainstorm,” she says. “In a casual atmosphere, you can ask questions and not feel someone is going to roll their eyes at you. You can have an informative discussion.” Today, as publisher of BPN and an active member of industry organizations, she tries to extend that same sort of welcome and camaraderie to other women as they join the propane industry. On Oct. 22, Peal was recognized for this with an...

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  • Feature Articles

    Propane Miser Gives Terminal Operators Every Gallon of Fuel They’ve Paid For

    Compressor and pump manufacturer Corken (Oklahoma City, Okla.) has launched a new propane railcar unloading system that fully evacuates propane from railcars during offloading with up to 25% faster unloading speed compared to conventional compressor systems. The company notes that conventional unloading systems with a single-stage compressor abandon the final 230-400 gallons of propane in each railcar. “We are solving a real problem folks have lived with—getting that last bit of propane,” Steven Willoughby, global business line director at IDEX Advanced Flow Solutions (Corken, Liquid Controls, SAMPI), tells BPN. Conventional systems are unable to evacuate a tank below 30-40 psig during the vapor recovery process, he explains. Corken’s new Propane Miser, on the other hand, overcomes this barrier and achieves evacuation as low as 0...

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  • Equipment

    2nd Annual Bobtail Driver Challenge Builds Morale, Camaraderie

    When Heller’s Gas (Berwick, Pa.) held their 2nd Annual Bobtail Driver Challenge Aug. 21, they found that the event provided more than just good-natured competition. It also allowed drivers and other staff to meet, have fun, and share ideas. “We got to hear from the drivers who are in constant contact with our customers,” marketing coordinator Alicia Stavitzski tells BPN. “We’re in various locations and don’t always get to hear their ideas in an open forum like this. When we got together, managers, human resources, and others were able to hear drivers’ feedback on customer satisfaction; policies and procedures; social media; and other company practices.” “This event also showed our appreciation and provided a safety opportunity where everyone could refresh their minds on propane safety...

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  • Feature Articles

    The World Is At Your Fingertips As Never Before”—e-LPG Week, Nov. 2-6

    When staff at the World LPG Association (WLPGA; Paris) saw that this year’s LPG Week would have to be virtual, they decided they wouldn’t try to just replicate the physical event, they’d work to make something better. LPG Week is the annual global event centered on the World LPG Forum. Last year’s edition, which was held in Amsterdam, drew more than 2000 participants from 108 countries. This year’s was to have been held in Dubai. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the physical event was postponed to next year and a virtual event was developed for this year. The first e-LPG Week is to be held Nov. 2-6. e-LPG Week will have the same global perspective as the earlier, physical events, but will be easier...

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  • Feature Articles

    Propane Tank Vendors Highlight Dependability, Innovation, Service

    Full service from a one-stop shop, personalized service from regional sales staff, swift delivery from an expanded fleet, tank monitoring integrated into tanks or lids, and tanks in sizes needed to provide additional storage for both marketers and their customers. Those are some of the products and services rolled out or expanded in recent months by five companies that manufacture and/or refurbish propane tanks. These would have been highlighted at trade shows this past spring and summer, had those events not been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the absence of trade shows, live displays, and in-person discussions, BPN checked in with these five vendors to learn what’s new and what’s trending in the marketplace for propane tanks. In their answers, they highlighted service,...

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  • Feature Articles

    Tank Monitoring Solutions: Monitors, Portals, Apps

    Tank monitoring solutions include not only the monitors, but also portals and apps that distribute the data to propane marketers and their customers, and vendor support that helps marketers make the most of these tools. In the end, a complete tank monitoring solution should assist marketers in making large, efficient deliveries while also preventing runouts. Remote tank monitoring (RTM) is being more widely deployed in many industries. Internet of Things (IoT) analyst firm Berg Insights reports that the global installed base of active RTM solutions is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 36.3%. (This includes not only propane tank monitors, but others as well.) In the propane industry, tank monitoring is growing because propane marketers need to maximize the efficiency of their deliveries,...

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  • Feature Articles

    The State Of Energy Propane Podcast Gains In Popularity

    Last fall, Tom Clark attended NPGA and PERC meetings and heard talk of the need to educate consumers and mobilize them to oppose the war on fossil fuels. Returning home, the executive director of the Rocky Mountain Propane Association (RMPA) reached out to a media organization he’d worked with and discussed how they could talk to consumers about energy choices. The advertising and media-placement agency, Advoke Media, suggested an infomercial-style radio show. “I was surprised; I thought radio was old school,” Clark tells BPN. But he learned that in rural areas of the four states RMPA represents (Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming), a lot of people listen to radio. “This is something no one had done before—an infomercial about propane—so I thought it would be...

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  • Feature Articles

    New Propane Software Features Deliver Convenience, Efficiency, And More

    BASE Engineering (Saint John, N.B., Canada) has added three new features to its ProControl3 Integrated Fuel Delivery System over the past year. The ProControl3 (PC3) is a handheld device for drivers that features truck remote control and safety features as well as complete delivery system management. Alone, the handheld allows hose-end remote control of the pump, tank valves, engine RPM, hose reel, and emergency stop. With the BASEstation HUB, BASE Engineering’s onboard computer hub, the PC3 can also record DOT pre-trip truck inspections, capture and display inventory levels on the truck, display an optimized customer delivery list, and perform several point-of-sale functions. “The pandemic has sped the transition from paper to the cloud, off paper tickets and toward automation,” says Laura Lunn, marketing coordinator. The...

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