A walk from the 2017 NPGA Southeastern Propane Convention in Nashville to a hotel restaurant across the street is not a fast one when you walk with Joe Rose! Joe knows everyone and everyone knows Joe! This year, all of Rose’s friends and associates through 35 years in the propane industry are reaching out to shake his hand and wish him well as he retires in July. For the past 10 years, Rose has been president and CEO of the Propane Gas Association of New England (PGANE), an association he helped build from the ground up to 775 members. In July, Rose will leave the Association and Leslie Anderson, a propane industry veteran from Maine who has been working with Rose for the past six…

Natalie Hall has only been with the family propane business, Como Oil and Propane (Palm City, Fla.), for about a year and a half, but she has already taken on a heavy marketing, operations, and back-office workload with the company. She is the project manager for the business’ conversion from an older software system to a new program and is leading the marketing operations including the website, advertising, and social media, all while still learning the ropes of the business. “When I first started here, I bounced around, trying to get my hands dirty, going out on delivery trucks, going out with service techs, and trying to learn all aspects of the business,” she said. “I also worked with the sales team to improve their…

(June 2, 2017) A recall has been issued on Flame King one-pound propane capacity refillable cylinders. Green cylinders with serial numbers between 000001 and 020800 and blue cylinders with serial numbers between 000001 and 004700 are being recalled due to the possibility that the cylinders do not contain a sealant which prevents the cylinder valve from becoming loose. The company is requesting that customers cease using the cylinders and they will be replaced. YSN Imports Inc is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to voluntarily recall the cylinders. It is expected that CPSC will announce the recall in the coming weeks. Further information can be obtained by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view…

Kansas City, Mo. (May 25, 2017) – Crestwood Midstream has announced that its Rail Terminal in Rose Hill, North Carolina – just east of the Dixie Pipeline – is set to undergo an expansion. According to Max Johnson, Crestwood’s Supply and Asset Manager for the Southeast, the expansion will significantly increase the capacity of the terminal and create more opportunities for marketers in the region to diversify their supply source. “Response from customers to our Rose Hill facility, which opened a year ago in May, has been stronger than anticipated,” said Johnson. “We are confident that investing in an expansion will also be well-received by marketers across the region.” Johnson said the expansion will provide Crestwood customers with reliable supply closer to their customers. In…

WASHINGTON (May 25, 2017) — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has selected industry veteran Thomas “Tucker” Perkins as its next president and chief executive officer, said PERC Chairman Thomas Van Buren, who also led the executive search team. “We received interest from highly qualified individuals both within and outside our industry, which speaks volumes about the respect and recognition that PERC has earned in our industry and the broader energy world,” Van Buren, executive vice president, Ferrell North America & Midstream, said. “The selection team interviewed many truly extraordinary candidates, and we unanimously agreed that Tucker is the right person to build on our recent success and take us to new heights.” My professional life has been dedicated to the propane industry, and…

Sam Fox, director of propane sales at McCraw Oil (Bonham, Texas), is larger than life. Fiercely loyal, easy-going, solid, likeable, professional, dedicated, a warrior, a creative thinker, a hoot, a mentor, an expert…always willing to help. These descriptions are just a few (that were suitable to print) coming from colleagues, friends, his boss, fellow committee members, and even the chairman of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). But don’t think this is a eulogy of some sort. Far from it — Fox is just getting started. He has worked for both large and small industry companies over the last several decades, beginning with his family business, Penny’s Gas in Kaufman, Texas. “I am proud to be a third-generation propane marketer. I was with my family company from…

Frederick, MD (May 18, 2017) — ThompsonGas has acquired the assets of Burkardt’s LP Gas of Polo, Illinois, from owners Bill and Beverly Burkardt. ThompsonGas now serves more than 100,000 customers in 18 states (MD, VA, PA, WV, NC, SC, TN, KY, GA, AL, MS, FL, MN, WI, MO, WA, OR, IL). ThompsonGas COO, George Koloroutis: “This is our first acquisition in the State of Illinois and we are encouraged by the quality of the business that Bill and Bev have built. This transaction will provide an immediate contribution to our business and we are very proud to welcome their customers and employees to the ThompsonGas family.”

Propane continued to make headway as a commercial vehicle fuel, with the added bonus that it’s “green,” at the 2017 Work Truck Show/Green Truck Summit in Indianapolis in March 2017. Vehicle displays, a session on propane’s role in emissions reduction, and an Alliance AutoGas event at which conversion specialists once again performed a live upfit of a 2017 Ford F-250 to propane, drew interest from attendees. The techs completed the demonstration in 1:21.00, beating their F-150 conversion speed at last year’s Work Truck Show of 1:32:25 (BPN, April 2016, p.62), which Alliance described at the time as the fastest live propane autogas conversion. Stacey Snyder, conversion specialist from Alliance AutoGas in Asheville, N.C., assisted Kevin Oglesby, conversion specialist from Alliance member Southern Alternatives LLC in…

WASHINGTON (May 17, 2017) – The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) announced the addition of a new page to its website solely focused on helping municipalities and public organizations learn how propane maintenance equipment can improve their grounds maintenance operations. At www.propane.com/municipality, visitors will find resources explaining how propane mowers increase department productivity, lower fuel costs, and reduce emissions. “Whether we’re talking about a large city, small rural township, or even a university, grounds maintenance departments are constantly asked to do more with less,” said Jeremy Wishart, PERC deputy director of business development. “Propane mowers help maintenance crews be more productive and efficient with their ever-shrinking budgets and time constraints.” At the new online resource, content available for site visitors includes: • Video testimonials…

The idea for the formation of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Workforce Development Task Force began last year as NPGA chairman Stuart Weidie embarked on his travels to different state propane gas association meetings. At those gatherings, he heard repeated concerns from propane marketers about their challenges in attracting and retaining quality employees. Weidie shared those comments with the NPGA executive committee. In response, early this year a task force was formed with the objective of providing propane marketers information on techniques for recruiting, hiring, and “onboarding” new employees or integrating them into the organization. Jane Stroupe, regional project director for the southern region at AmeriGas (Valley Forge, Pa.), is chair of the task force, and Eric Kuster, director of safety and certification for…