LP/Gas articles from February 2003

LP/Gas archives from February 2003

And the winner is ... (View Point).
February 1, 2003... The books on fiscal year 2002 are officially closed, and AmeriGas Partners again has retained its crown as the largest U.S. propane retailer in the annual LP/Gas Top 50 rankings. (See complete listing, pages 27-44.) The Valley Forge,...

In the know: understanding the price issue.
February 1, 2003... At our Propane Marketing and Operations Forum in Kansas City in October, we conducted surveys before each session was presented. The information was then used to mold the class according to what the answers told us. Here is the survey for the...

Propane Master Limited Partnership Comparison.(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... Propane Master Limited Partnership Comparison Company Symbol Quarter Price Distribution Yield Ended (1/14/03) AmeriGas APU Sept $23.80 $2.20 ...

Heating degree days by state. (Weather).(Illustration)
February 1, 2003... Heating degree days by state State December Deviation Last 12 Deviation from norm months from norm Alabama 597 6 3045 -379 Alaska ...

Upcoming events.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... UPCOMING EVENTS * March 6-8 Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo at the Gaylord opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. For details, call 877-730-4802. * March 10-12 Gas Processors Association annual convention...

The game of safety poker. (Safety First).
February 1, 2003... My fascination with card playing began as I watched the TV show Maverick. I learned the skills of poker always included banter and usually ended with the phrase "My old Pappy used to say..." just as Maverick would gather up the pot. Later...

Essentials for success: a business plan. (Business Matters).
February 1, 2003... It has been said that the typical small business owner would never consider taking a family vacation without first carefully planning dates of departure and arrival, obtaining hotel reservations, reserving tickets in advance for hard-to-get...

Trounce competition during a merger. (Let's Talk).
February 1, 2003... All of you have seen or know of a competitor who sold his company in your area. You also likely saw the changes made and the problems that may have occurred during the transition period. You likely gained several customers during the transition...

New congress gets back at it. (Washington Report).(United States' 108th Congress)
February 1, 2003... The 108th Congress that convened in January will have to revisit many of the energy issues the 107th Congress never resolved. Will Congress make another stab at passing a comprehensive energy bill? If so, the groundwork may have been laid...

LPG prices. (Briefly Speaking).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Residential propane prices stood 12.5 cents per gallon higher at the end of 2002 than a year earlier, the Energy Information Administration reports. Wholesale prices rose from 61.1 cents to 62.3 cents per gallon over the year. December storms...

RSPA standards. (Briefly Speaking).(Research and Special Programs Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Research & Special Programs administration announced in December that it plans to conform its Hazardous Materials Regulations to international standards. RSPA plans to revise descriptions of liquefied compressed gases, with new categories...

OSHA delay. (Briefly Speaking).(United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Three occupational injury reporting requirements won't take effect as scheduled this year. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration postponed implementation of rules that would have required employers to report work-related...

When Johnny comes marching home. (Legal Ease).(Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994)
February 1, 2003... Given the current world situation, more and more military service personnel are leaving their jobs to serve our country. All employers need to be aware that they are subject to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. ...

A push for plastic: lighter, transparent, non-corrosive materials could challenge 60-year reign of metal cylinders.
February 1, 2003... One of the propane industry's most enduring and recognizable public images--and one of its healthiest market segments--could be headed for a major overhaul. A coalition of propane and other interested industry representatives in late...

Pushing propane's plusses: futuristic San Diego facility to educate public, showcase alternative fuel vehicle choices.
February 1, 2003... Propane's prominence as a motor vehicle fuel appears ready to shift into overdrive with construction of the nation's first alternative fuels Regional Transportation Center in San Diego. The $17.9 million, 86,000-square-foot facility will...

PERC approves assorted grants, rebates. (Washington, D.C.).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Propane Education & Research Council approved a variety of grants and state rebates at its December meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The largest expenditure was $17 million for the 2003 leg of PERC's consumer education campaign, which...

NPGA proposal for fire safety analysis tabled. (Washington, D.C.).(National Propane Gas Association)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... PERC also is reconsidering a proposal by the National Propane Gas Association to develop a fire safety analysis and incident response plan with the National Fire Protection Association. A funding request by NPGA was tabled at PERC's...

Dynegy sells LPG trading, transportation business. (Houston, Texas).(Dynegy Midstream Services)(liquefied petroleum gas )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Dynegy Midstream Services, a subsidiary of Dynegy Inc., has sold its London-based international LPG trading and transportation business to Trammo Gas International Inc., a division of Transammonia Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ...

Ferrellgas buys ProAm for $35.6 million. (Liberty, Missouri).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ferrellgas will add nearly 70,000 customers in seven states with the acquisition of ProAm Inc., which ranked as the country's 17th largest retailer in 2002. Ferrellgas will pay $25.6 million at closing, with a $10 million deferred seller...

Inergy acquires Florida, North Carolina retailers. (Kansas City, Missouri).(Central Carolina Gas Co.)(Live Oak Gas Company Inc)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Inergy has purchased propane retailers in northern Florida and North Carolina to expand its presence in the mid-Atlantic region. In December, Inergy acquired the assets of Central Carolina Gas Company of Hamlet, N.C. The company served...

AmeriGas, heritage swap retail district customers. (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania).(AmeriGas Partners and Heritage Propane Partners are swapping customers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... AmeriGas Partners and Heritage Propane Partners are swapping customers in two retail district operations. AmeriGas is acquiring all of the customers of Heritage's Yuma, Ariz., district in exchange for all of the customers in AmeriGas'...

Manufacturer acquires equipment distributor. (Ridley, Minnesota).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Determan Brownie Inc., a privately held capital goods manufacturer based in Fridley, Minn., has bought Lange Gas Equipment Inc. of Columbia Heights, Minn. Lange, a regional distributor and service center for propane handling equipment,...

Hicksgas buys Illinois retailer Federated Co-op. (Roberts, Illinois).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Hicksgas Inc. of Roberts, Ill., has purchased the propane assets of Federated Co-op of Georgetown, Ill., and merged the business into its own Oakwood, Ill., site. Hicksgas Inc., a family-owned and -operated business, operates 36 retail...

AmeriGas acquires New Jersey retailer Norieka. (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania).(Norieka Gas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... AmeriGas has acquired Norieka Gas of Jackson, N.J., which served about 1,500 customers in central New Jersey. Customers will be served from an existing AmeriGas location in Tom's River, N.J., while the former Norieka facility will become a...

McKnight Cylinder offers new powder coat line. (Fruffs Dale, Pennsylvania).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... McKnight Cylinder, which refurbishes propane cylinders, has installed a new powder coat line for its 20-pound cylinders to provide a longer-lasting finish than traditional processes. The company said it is the first refurbisher in the...

Health care costs rising 15 percent. (Washington, D.C.).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Employers can expect health care costs to rise 14.6 percent in 2003, about the same rate as the 14.7 percent increase in 2002. The statistics, from a Mercer Human Resource Consulting nationwide survey of 2,889 firms, also indicate that 62...

Energy consultant, information firm partner. (Fairfax, Virginia).(Pace Global Energy Services and eLutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Pace Global Energy Services and eLutions Inc. are partnering to provide real-time energy management and metering tools to industrial energy users worldwide. The alliance offers Pace Global clients state-of-the-art energy monitoring and...

Top 50 retailers rankings: profiles of the largest propane retail marketers in the United States.
February 1, 2003... m1 AmeriGas Partners, L. P. P.O. Box 965 ** Valley Forge, PA 19482 Phone: 610-337-7000 ** Fax: 610-992-3253 Web site: www.amerigas.com Founded: 1959 Owners: Publicly held Outlets: 647 ** States: 50 Customers: 1,240,605 2002 fiscal...

Direct-vent fireplaces. (Products).(Heat-N-Glo Fireplaces)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Heat-N-Glo introduces two direct-vent gas fireplaces that offer advanced heat management systems and a more authentic masonry design. Gas Energy Models (GEM-36 and GEM-42) are made from Heat-N-Glo's patented Firebrick material, which...

Pressure gauges. (Products).(DCT Instruments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... DCT Instruments presents a line of calibration-class pressure gauges that offer highly accurate periodic verification as an additional check on measurement systems without the risks associated with full calibration. The gauges are hooked...

Pipe coupling. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In response to industry demand, Perfection Corp. adds a 1.5 inch IPS size to its line of Permasert couplings. The one-piece fitting can be used in main and service line connection, or in the installation of pool heaters and other...

Fuel distribution software. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Rural Computer Consultants Inc. releases the newest Windows version of its RCC Fuel Distribution System, an improved system for integrating accounting applications, such as accounts receivable, general ledger, accounts payable, inventory and...

Drop-in grill unit. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Modern Home Products introduces a new drop-in unit for built-in grills, featuring a lifetime warranty on the entire stainless steel and aluminum exterior, burners, and cooking grids of its top-of-line Model GJKBI 36-inch Optimum Series. ...

Vent-free gas heater. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Gas Fired Products Inc. offers a new 9,500 Btu Corcho vent-free heater designed for use in bedrooms or other areas of a home. The CK10 new radiant plaque-style heater is available in either natural or LP gas and come with a 10-year limited...

GPS vehicle locator. (Products).(global positioning system )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... IDA Corp. introduces its TRAKIT GPS AVL fleet management system to track the location of a vehicle carrying hazardous materials. The technology uses global positioning systems (GPS) to transmit data from the vehicles to IDA's Global Trakit...

Welding cylinder truck bodies. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... H&H Sales Co. Inc. presents its line of EGW Series steel welding cylinder truck bodies equipped with an in-bed lift platform. The line is featured in a new two-page literature with information and photos. The bodies are equipped with a...

Leak detector. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The MSA Instrument Division announces the availability of its Orion G Multigas and Leak Detector, a four-gas multi-function portable detector. The detector features one-button calibration, rugged construction with resistance to dust and...

Gas grills. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Modern Home Products Corp. introduces its 2003 grill line with new features, including a lifetime warranty on the entire exterior construction of its popular WNK3 Series natural or LP gas grill model. The 604-square-inch total cooking...

Outdoor furnace. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Central Boiler presents a Dual Fuel option available for its Classic outdoor wood furnace. The furnace will provide heat with an alternative fuel, including propane, without the wood fire. Models are available as wood/oil, wood/propane, or...

Tracking system. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Air-Trak.com is releasing two new tracking and messaging systems for fleet management. TerraTrak provides graphical fleet management, including automatic terrestrial vehicle-location using global positioning system technology. A messaging...

Expanded product line. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... PSI Inc. has added three new product lines: Liqua-Tech Corp., Monessen Hearth Systems and Algas-SDI. Liqua-Tech, which manufactures LPG meters and parts used in cylinder filling operations, and Monessen Hearth Systems, which offers gas logs,...

Tarantin Tank and Equipment Co. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Tarantin Tank and Equipment Co., which is celebrating 20 years in the industry, has hired Jim Mazur as an outside sales account executive for New York. Mazur has held branch manager, training, safety and supply positions over 24 years in the...

Acme Alternate Fuel Systems. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Acme Alternate Fuel Systems has hired Wendy Johnson as marketing director. Johnson will produce marketing materials, write press releases, develop a Web site and work with organizations to promote the use of propane as an alternate fuel.

Fueling Technologies. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Everett Osgood & Associates has been hired as a territory representative for Fueling Technologies. The firm will cover Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado for LPG bulk storage and fuel oil tank...

Vertrax. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... David Caney, a sales executive for Vertrax Inc., has expanded his territory to include Connecticut, New York and western Massachusetts. Caney, who has 10 years of retail and wholesale oil and propane industry experience, helped to develop...

Blue Rhino. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Mark Zimora has been appointed as Blue Rhino's director of corporate development. He will focus on acquisitions, distributor partnerships and expanding the company's 26,000-outlet cylinder exchange network. Zimora joined Blue Rhino in...

Worthington Industries. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Worthington Industries has appointed George Stoe as president of Worthington Cylinder Corp. Stoe, most recently the president of Zinc Corporation of America, spent the majority of his career with Alumax Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa. Also, John...

S.H. Leggitt Co. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... S.H. Leggitt Co. has promoted three employees. Paul Gilliland was promoted to vice president and general manager of the company's Marshall Brass Division. He joined Marshall Brass in 1992 as director of engineering and also served as...

Ferrellgas. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ferrellgas has hired Daniel P. Carrigan as director of corporate development. He will oversee all aspects of company acquisitions. Carrigan previously served as acting managing director of the telephony division of Nations Media Partners,...

Inergy. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Four new employees have joined the staff of Inergy L.P. in Kansas City, Mo. Melissa Alfrey has joined the company as retail staff accountant. She most recently worked with a Kansas City public accounting firm. Jo Ann Arnold is a new...

Propane Vehicle Council. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Propane industry veteran Joseph L. Colaneri has left the industry to join the NationalStone, Sand and Gravel Association as director of government affairs. Colaneri served six years as executive director of the Propane Vehicle Council....