LP/Gas articles from January 2009

LP/Gas archives from January 2009

Magical margins: doom and gloom of economic forecast offset by plummeting product cost.
January 1, 2009... Be honest now--how many of you marketers were convinced that your cost of product would ever go down again once spot prices surged past $1 two years ago and rumbled toward $1.90 heading into this winter? Who ever would have believed you...

PERC reorganizes 2009 budget to reflect its changing priorities.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)(Propane Education and Research Council)
January 1, 2009... The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) approved a budget of $46.1 million for 2009 that reorganizes its work around developing new markets for propane and elevating propane in the national energy conversation. Working at its...

LP/gas stock index.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
January 1, 2009... LP/Gas Stock Index [PROPANE MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP COMPARISON] Quarter Price Company Symbol Ended (12/17/08) AmeriGas APU Sept....

Trinity establishes distribution center.
January 1, 2009... Trinity Containers announced the formation of a LP gas tank distribution center to better serve its western propane dealer markets. The Trinity Containers California propane tank distribution center in Strathmore, Calif., is a centralized hub...

American Welding & Tank expands line.
January 1, 2009... American Welding & Tank LLC (AWT) is introducing a new line of large capacity bulk storage tanks, the company announced. AWT will immediately begin accepting orders for storage tanks ranging in size from 2,000-gallon to 100,000-gallon...

Dixie Pipeline withdraws proposals.
January 1, 2009... Dixie Pipeline Co. filed a notice with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 12, withdrawing its tariff proposals related to shipments of propane and refinery grade propylene (RGP). Dixie had proposed to remove the priority for...

CARB adopts two diesel regulations.
January 1, 2009... The Air Resources Board adopted two regulations on Dec. I2 aimed at cleaning up harmful emissions from the estimated 1 million heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in California. Beginning Jan. 1,2011, the Statewide Truck and Bus rule will...

Weather watch.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
January 1, 2009... WeatherWatch [HEATING DEGREE DAYS BY STATE] DEVIATION DEVIATION FROM LAST 12 FROM STATE NOVEMBER NORM MONTHS NORM ...

Gas pains.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)(Cartoon)
January 1, 2009... "ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THIS MEANS THE PROPANE TANK IS HALF-FULL OR HALF-EMPTY." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Groups challenge hours-of-service rule.
January 1, 2009... A coalition of advocacy and labor groups, led by Public Citizen, challenged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) re-adoption of the hours-of-service rule. The rule, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 19, allows truckers to...

Proposal would change hazardous materials classifications.
January 1, 2009... In response to the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) June 2005 petition, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed a rule narrowing the list of hazardous materials classified as significant security...

Rail safety legislation requiring new technology is enacted.
January 1, 2009... The House of Representatives and Senate passed a major railroad safety reform bill requiring new technology to prevent crashes and limit hours engineers can work, the Associated Press reported. President Bush signed the bill last fall. The...

New version of fleet cost calculator available from PERC.
January 1, 2009... The propane industry launched the latest version of a fleet cost calculator designed to help fleet managers make a business case for using propane-fueled vehicles. The online fleet calculator, available on PERC's Web site at www....

Motorcycle rally benefits NPGF scholarship fund.
January 1, 2009... The 2009 NPGA Motorcycle Rally, benefiting the National Propane Gas Foundation Scholarship Fund, will be held on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Fla. Participants will join Tampa's propane industry members for an all-day ride over their favorite route and...

American Standard Manufacturing Inc.(PEOPLE)
January 1, 2009... David Day has been promoted to CEO, replacing Coleman Vickary. Day had previously held the position of COO. Day's experience over nine years with the company also has included the positions of national marketing director and vice president of...

Vision Financial Group Inc.(PEOPLE)(Conrad Eimers has been appointed)(David Ghilani has been named)(Christina Darcangelo has also been appointed)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Conrad Eimers has been named COO, David Ghilani as district sales and credit manager and Christina Darcangelo as sales and marketing associate at Vision Financial Group Inc. Eimers has been in the equipment lending and leasing industry for over...

Florida PGA.(PEOPLE)
January 1, 2009... The Florida Propane Gas Association announced new officers and directors for 2008-09. Officers are Randal Sams, president, Sams LP Gas Company Inc.; Henry Howell, president elect, Suburban Propane; Bill late, vice president, Heritage Propane;...

South Carolina PGA.(PEOPLE)(Lane Wise has been appointed)(Donald Alford has been appointed)(Richard O'Sheal has also been appointed)(Propane Gas Association )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The South Carolina Propane Gas Association recently elected new officers and directors for 2008-09. Lane Wise, Petroleum Tank Corp. (Johnston), will serve as president; Donald Alford, The Jerry Cox Co. (Conway), is first vice president; Richard...

Great Race reset for July; propane Corvette entered.(Vital Signs)
January 1, 2009... The 100th running of The Great Race will take place July 25 after being postponed from its original starting date last May. The commemorative re-run of the 1908 New York-to-Paris Great Race is considered one of the most remarkable automotive...

Retail pricing relative to changing wholesale prices.(IN THE KNOW)
January 1, 2009... Propane Resources surveyed 395 retail propane marketers across the United States regarding the following questions about retail prices and how they relate to the current changing wholesale market prices. We received responses from 33 companies....

Events.(Vital Signs)(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... * FEB. 8-10 NPGA board of directors and related committee meetings to be held at the Renaissance International Plaza in Tampa, FL. For details, contact Peter Ferrell at pferrell@npga.org or 202-355-1338. * FEB. 10-12 World Ag Expo at the...

Animated comedy series 'King of the Hill' headed for final season on Fox.(Data Points: PROPANE INDUSTRY NUMBERS)
January 1, 2009... January marks the anniversary of the long-running, animated comedy "King of the Hill," which premiered in 1997 on Fox. Fox, however, announced last year that it was canceling the half-hour show after one more season. Final episodes likely...

Average U.S. heating fuel expenditures.(Data Points: PROPANE INDUSTRY NUMBERS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Average U.S. Heating Fuel Expenditures [2008-2009 EXPECTED PERCENT INCREASE FROM LAST WINTER] If 10% Warmer If 10% Colder Fuel Base Case Than Forecast Than Forecast Heating Oil ...

Winds of change: how will Barack Obama and a Democratic majority impact the propane industry?(OBAMA ADMINISTRATION)(Cover story)
January 1, 2009... We've ushered in a new year and entered a new era. A new president is moving into the White House. New political leaders and policymakers are settling into roles on Capitol Hill. And the dominating issues of energy, economy and environment...

Get it yourself: self-serve cylinder exchange provides customers access to propane 24 hours a day.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... It wasn't so long ago that Americans enjoyed--and expected--full-service gasoline stations, personal service at banks and retail establishments, and a friendly voice answering corporate telephones. Today, many of us prefer self-serve gas...

Greener pastures: 'Twist 'n Go' propane canisters set to fuel lawn and garden equipment.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although Her Majesty's Royal Fisheries Capt. Bernardo J. Herzer's first love is sailing over the deep blue sea, he may be in position to rake in a considerable amount of green with his groundbreaking line of...

Packing a punch: Marshall Gas' line of U.S.-made regulators features smaller sizes, bigger flow rates.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... Technology is shrinking the size of regulators to increase your ease of installation while bringing to market a higher capacity for larger-load accounts, such as homes equipped with below-grade tanks and graced with heated swimming pools. ...

Propane's 'Holy Grail': new heat-pump systems can beat their electric counterparts in energy efficiency.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2009... Propane engine-driven heat pumps (PHPs), able to efficiently provide air conditioning during hot summers and comfortable warmth during harsh winters, are coming to the United States. "It fills an important energy and environmental gap that...

'Wide' open for business: increase your visibility to customers by having a presence on the Internet.(Business Matters)
January 1, 2009... The statistical data on the use of the World Wide Web, provided by www. InternetWorldStats.com, is fascinating. Did you know that 75 percent of adults in the United States today access the Internet? That compares to 15 percent of adults who...

New year's ABCs of safety: how would your company be graded on its overall effectiveness?(Safety First)
January 1, 2009... Long before my adult children learned to slack off in a pass/fail environment, we old folks were graded in school. As, B's, C's, D's and F's meant something. I'll never forget getting an F in chemistry while my dad and I split the cost of...

Vendor's endorsement: distributors should be aware of this benefit during a product dispute.(Legal Brief)
January 1, 2009... In a long legal battle that is still far from over, an Illinois Court of Appeals decision found coverage under a vendor's endorsement in St. Paul Insurance v. Antel Corp. The purpose of a vendor's endorsement is to provide products liability...

Reach out to homebuilders: you can offer ideas that will help them out of the current building slump.(Marketing In Motion)
January 1, 2009... National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) President and CEO Ron Howard reports that the current homebuilding slump is the worst the industry has seen in over 50 years. Homebuilders expecting to survive and thrive in a recovered market are...

People as policy: Obama assembles cabinet ready to address energy, climate-change issues.(Washington Report)
January 1, 2009... With President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet choices complete, the most popular Washington parlor game has shifted from "whom" to "what." Perhaps the best way to figure out what policies he will pursue is to look at whom he chose and what...

Webbtown Propane Co.: Tennessee company survives early adversities, competition from majors.(Snap Shot: COMPANIES TO WATCH)
January 1, 2009... Webbtown Propane Co. is one of the last remaining independents in its territory bridging the Tennessee and Kentucky border. A handful of major marketers have a presence in the region, but Webbtown presses forward. Owner and Operator James...