Without a skilled representative — a people mover who knows when and how to get things done — any innovation is at best uncapitalized potential. It’s a great idea that remains just that: an idea. Thankfully for the autogas industry, Todd Mouw is on their side.
Since ROUSH CleanTech’s autogas beginnings in 2010, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing has been instrumental in advocating for the alternative fuel to new customers and market spaces.
Speaking of his involvement in forming ROUSH CleanTech’s initial strategies for autogas marketing, Mouw noted that “from an engineering standpoint, there was a lot of positivity to [autogas]. It just wasn’t being represented well enough in the market. We thought that applying our brand and some of our know-how and commercializing it would make a lot of sense.”
Mouw understood the latent potential of autogas, a potential that required the right marketing approach to unleash its benefits to consumers. His ability to identify and creatively seek out markets where autogas can thrive is one of the ways that Mouw has most significantly contributed to the innovations taking place in the alternative fuel’s journey so far.
“People buy from people,” Mouw said. “It’s kind of cliché, but it’s all about trust and the relationships you build.”
However, this does not mean that advocating for autogas is a walk in the park. As is the case when developing any new product offering, seeing a return on investment can be an extended process.
“I think the reality is the sales cycle we are in is not a short one,” Mouw said. “I think that caused a lot of frustration within the propane industry in that a lot of the smaller marketers would put that time and effort in, and it would just take so long before they’d see a return on investment.”
There is also the struggle to carve out the unique standing of propane autogas in markets that can at times appear saturated with other choices for energy.
“I get a lot of questions asking if EVs [electric vehicles] are a threat,” Mouw said. “The reality is, I think EVs can be our friend.”
This insight pairs well with the latest innovative methods of pairing the fuel offerings of propane with electric applications, such as charging stations. However, Mouw did note the reality of competition that exists in the energy space, while emphasizing the distinct advantages that propane has among other energy sources.
“Diesel can be a threat. Ninety percent of the industry is still running diesel,” Mouw said. “But everything’s getting pushed toward cleaner and cleaner energy sources, and EV is not commercially viable — it’s too expensive. And so, what’s left is propane. Most of the fleets we’re talking to say propane is a perfect fit.”
Successfully crafting and sending this message to the autogas customer base requires collaboration with propane marketers and a gifted communicator — both of which Mouw has embodied in his service to the industry.
“We’ve sold 1,000 out of 14,000 school districts,” Mouw said. “Now is the time to get in; the water is warm!”
