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

    VanderYacht Propane Develops Multipurpose Truck

    VanderYacht Propane (Lynden, Wash.) needed a specialized truck, but needed it only occasionally. To make sure the truck wouldn’t sit idle too long, the company decided to set it up so it could serve more than one purpose. What they developed was a truck that could be fitted with interchangeable bodies—a truck that could be many trucks in one.  The challenge that inspired this project was the company’s location. To serve customers in western Washington, VanderYacht Propane must occasionally send a truck up into mountains or over a suspension bridge. These treks require a vehicle that is lighter than the typical bobtail and equipped with four-wheel drive, so VanderYacht Propane chose a Ram 5500.  They then set out to make sure the truck could serve...

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  • Feature Articles

    Supply Update: “A Good Year, Really Good”

    The supply and logistics situation in the propane industry is strong — perhaps the best in 10 years — but marketers must remain vigilant and watch for changes. Complacency can be dangerous. Those were messages delivered last February during a meeting of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Propane Supply and Logistics Committee in Charleston, S.C. “It’s been a good year, really good,” Stephen Kossuth, operations vice president at AmeriGas Propane LP and chair of the committee, said during the meeting. “In terms of supply and logistics, it’s been almost a boring year. There is more supply and the logistics market is handling the challenge of moving it the last mile. For the first time in 10 years, there have been no problems to talk about when it comes...

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  • Feature Articles

    Conger LP Gas Celebrates New Location, Larger Showroom, Demonstration Kitchen, Growth

    More appliances, new appliances, and a larger space in which to display and demonstrate them — those are some of the benefits Conger LP Gas (Tifton, Ga.) is enjoying after moving its home office into a larger facility. After 29 years in a 1500-sq-ft building, the company moved its home office into an 8000-sq-ft structure that offers more office space, more warehouse space, and a 1200-sq-ft showroom. “The size of just our new showroom is nearly as large as the size of the previous whole building,” Kirsten McAlpin, communications director at Conger LP Gas, told BPN. The home office in Tifton is one of three locations Conger LP Gas has in South Georgia. From them, the company sells propane and sells, installs, and services all types of...

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  • Feature Articles

    Leaving an Inheritance: One Motivation for Building Businesses

    When Chuck and Judy Kinnie started Shasta Gas Propane and Shasta Tanks (Anderson, Calif.), one of the motivating factors was their desire to build successful businesses they could later pass on to their children and grandchildren. “Proverbs says, ‘A wise man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children,’” Chuck Kinnie explains. “I want to leave not just money, but the right attitude and work ethic. That is the inheritance I want to leave them. If you want to be successful in this country, nothing can stop you.” Today, the Kinnies’ daughter and their son-in-law run one of the businesses, and their son and their daughter-in-law run the other business. Shasta Gas Propane, a propane distributor, was started by Chuck and Judy in 1997. Chuck was...

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  • Beyond the Mains

    House Heating Fuel: Propane Makes Big Gains in Northeast, Census Bureau Figures Show

    Consumers in the Northeast have been moving away from fueloil and many are instead using propane to heat their home. Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that, between 2012 and 2017, the eight states and federal districts with the highest percentage growth in the number of occupied housing units in which the most-used heating fuel is in the “bottled, tank, or LP gas” category are in the New England and Central Atlantic PADD regions. (“This category includes liquid propane gas stored in bottles or tanks that are refilled or exchanged when empty,” the Census Bureau explains.) Those eight states and federal districts are Rhode Island (+40.4%), Maine (+37.5%), Connecticut (+29.1%), Massachusetts (+27.9%), New York (+20.2%), District of Columbia (+19.8%), New Hampshire (+17.0%), and...

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  • Feature Articles

    State Propane Gas Associations, Retailers Aid in Disaster Relief

    The wildfires and hurricanes recently seen in different parts of the country have reminded propane marketers and consumers alike that the best time to get ready for a disaster is before it happens. To make that task easier, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) offers a number of resources that provide information and best practices for preparing for and responding to an emergency. Resources are available tailored to consumers, marketers, and first responders. Among these resources are materials available in print or electronic format, an upcoming conference focused on safety and training, and a presentation that reminds marketers about the dangers of complacency. “We know how important this is,” Stuart Flatow, vice president of safety and training at PERC, told BPN. “It seems natural...

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  • Feature Articles

    Get Exclusive Discounts and Best-in-Class Services With NPGA’s Affinity Partners

    When propane marketers utilize business products and services from NPGA Affinity Program Providers, they are working with vendors that have been vetted by industry members and endorsed by the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). As a page that is to be included in the next edition of the NPGA Membership Directory puts it, these providers offer “Products and Services Chosen Especially for Propane Companies.” Christine Hutcherson, director of member services at NPGA, says these vendors offer NPGA members exclusive discounts and benefits. They also have a real understanding of the industry and its members’ needs. By choosing these vendors, she adds, association members can save both time and money. “We vet all these programs,” Hutcherson told BPN. “We take the time and effort comparing different...

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  • Feature Articles

    PERC Materials Help Propane Consumers, Industry Better Prepare for Natural Disasters, Emergencies

    The wildfires and hurricanes recently seen in different parts of the country have reminded propane marketers and consumers alike that the best time to get ready for a disaster is before it happens. To make that task easier, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) offers a number of resources that provide information and best practices for preparing for and responding to an emergency. Resources are available tailored to consumers, marketers, and first responders. Among these resources are materials available in print or electronic format, an upcoming conference focused on safety and training, and a presentation that reminds marketers about the dangers of complacency. “We know how important this is,” Stuart Flatow, vice president of safety and training at PERC, told BPN. “It seems natural...

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  • People

    People Best Part of the Business, Says 44-Year Industry Veteran

    Jack Culbertson held many positions in the propane industry and enjoyed them all, but his favorite part of the business was always the people. He retired late August 2018 capping his nearly 44-year career. Culbertson retired from Van Unen Miersma Propane in Ripon, Merced, and Goshen, Calif. He was with the company for the past 23 years. There, he had been a manager, regional manager, safety director, and then assistant operations manager. “That means I’ll do whatever they need done,” he says with a laugh. Van Unen Miersma was the sixth propane company Culbertson worked for. During his time in the industry, he worked in four states and was at various times a driver, serviceman, manager, salesman, instructor, and safety director. Culbertson’s career began in...

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  • Feature Articles

    High-Efficiency Appliances Earn Propane Place In Emerging Zero-Net Energy Housing Market

    As a growing number of new homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, the propane industry is working to earn a place for propane appliances in those homes. They are doing so by showing architects, builders, and others how these appliances can save energy while also adding comfort. At the cutting edge of the move to greater energy efficiency are homes built to be zero-net energy (ZNE) or zero-energy ready (ZER). A ZNE home produces as much energy as it consumes. It is built with a high degree of energy efficiency and is equipped with a renewable energy source, such a photovoltaic array. A ZER home can supply 90% or more of the annual energy demand, or could if it were equipped with a...

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