LP/Gas articles from September 2008

LP/Gas archives from September 2008

Ad campaign cutbacks loom: record propane prices likely to trigger marketing slashes in 2009.(The pH Factor)
September 1, 2008... Top propane officials already are bracing for the federal government to step in and whack the industry's high-profile, multi-million dollar consumer ad campaign sometime in 2009. The executive committees of both the National Propane Gas...

Industry protests Dixie proposal to alter pipeline provisions.
September 1, 2008... The Dixie Pipeline Co.'s July proposal to revise tariff provisions for propane shipments has spurred complaints with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that the changes are unreasonable, discriminatory and a violation of the...

Consortium plans $1.8 billion U.S. oil import terminal project.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
September 1, 2008... A consortium of oil pipeline and storage companies plans to invest $1.8 billion to build the United States' second deep water oil import terminal in Texas, the companies announced Aug. 18. The terminal would be only the second facility in...

LP/gas stock index.(Vital Signs: INDUSTRY NEWS & NUMBERS)
September 1, 2008... LP/Gas Stock Index [PROPANE MASTER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP COMPARISON] Quarter Price Company Symbol Ended (8/18/08) Distribution Yield AmeriGas APU June $31.14 ...

Heating degree days by state.(WeatherWatch)
September 1, 2008... [HEATING DEGREE DAYS BY STATE] DEVIATION DEVIATION FROM LAST 12 FROM STATE JULY NORM MONTHS NORM Alabama 0 ...

Gas pains.(Cartoon)
September 1, 2008... Will Work for Cash Flow [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

NPGA claims victory on bobtail tax size standards.
September 1, 2008... Culminating years of work, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) has announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has fundamentally changed its size standard for propane dealers. Beginning Aug. 22, propane marketers...

Inergy acquires N.Y. salt production company.
September 1, 2008... Inergy L.P. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Inergy Midstream LLC, has closed the acquisition of US Salt LLC, an industry-leading solution mining and salt production company located between Inergy's Stagecoach and Steuben County...

Sherwood announces plant consolidation.
September 1, 2008... Sherwood Valve LLC, a division of Taylor-Wharton International, has announced the consolidation of its Niagara Falls, N.Y., manufacturing and assembly operations into the company's Washington, Pa., and Cleveland, Ohio, facilities. "The...

NPGA: 97 percent of companies not covered in DHS survey.(National Propane Gas Association)(Department of Homeland Security)(Survey)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... A National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) survey to gauge the impact of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulations on propane marketers indicates that 97 percent are exempt. More...

American Welding & Tank acquires Certified Cylinder.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... American Welding & Tank LLC (AWT), a division of Taylor-Wharton International LLC, has announced its acquisition of Certified Cylinder Inc. of Crossville, Tenn. The acquisition is expected to significantly expand the refurbishing services...

Media event promotes propane as alternative fuel for fleets.
September 1, 2008... Fleet operators, propane marketers, and automotive journalists joined motor sports icon Jack Roush and other auto company executives at a demonstration of propane-fueled vehicles Aug. 20 in New York City. Touting propane as an ideal...

EGI-Mr. Heater acquires assets of CFM Corp.(Enerco Group Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Enerco Group Inc., through its subsidiary, Mr. Heater, has acquired the assets of CFM Corp. in Ontario, Canada. The acquisition includes certifications, brand names and tooling for three CFM product lines: Dyna-Glo Tag-A-Long portable...

AmeriGas acquires Nichols LP Gas Service.
September 1, 2008... AmeriGas Partners has acquired the propane distribution assets of Nichols LP Gas Service Inc. of Clifton, Texas. Nichols services 2,200 customers in the Greater Waco area of Central Texas.

Lennox Hearth Products joins HomeSphere.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... HomeSphere, a service provider to residential homebuilders and manufacturers, has added Lennox Hearth Products, manufacturers of factory-built fireplaces, to its growing list of supply chain partners. Lennox Hearth Products joins more than 70...

Kenworth announces financial program for new trucks.
September 1, 2008... Kenworth Truck Co. has announced that PACCAR Financial is offering a special program for customers who buy new, eligible Kenworth Class 8 vocational trucks and finance the purchase or lease through PACCAR Financial. The program offers a...

Consumer safety education brochure updated.
September 1, 2008... An updated version of the popular brochure "Important Propane Safety Information for You and Your Family" is available. Since 2005, the propane industry has distributed more than 8 million copies of the brochure, which features information...

Energy transfer partners.(PEOPLE)
September 1, 2008... Jim Hamilton has been promoted to vice president of Central Operations for Energy Transfer Partners' Propane Division, Heritage Propane. Hamilton joined Heritage Propane in January 1995. He began his career as district manager of the...

Oklahoma Safety Equipment Co, Inc.(PEOPLE)
September 1, 2008... Mathieu Hawksworth has been appointed regional sales manager at Oklahoma Safety Equipment Co. Inc. (Oseco). Hawksworth will be handling the Great Lakes region as well as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Kentucky,...

In the know.(Vital Signs)
September 1, 2008... Conventions, trade shows & meetings Propane Resources surveyed 441 companies about their plans to attend state and national conventions in 2009-70 companies responded, Here's what they had to say: Outcomes: Sixty percent of...

Events.(Vital Signs)(Conference news)(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... * OCT. 5-7 Fail NPGA board of directors meeting at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, WI. For details, contact Darlene Hawk at dhawk@npga.org or 202-355-1338. * OCT, 5-7 Virginia Propane Gas Association fall meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn...

'Clean energy, low carbon' focus of 21st World LP Gas Forum.(Data Points: PROPANE INDUSTRY NUMBERS)(Conference news)
September 1, 2008... The 21st World LP Gas Forum will take place Sept. 24-26 in Seoul, South Korea, with the theme of "LP gas-clean energy for a low carbon world." According to Jin-Sung Jung, chairman of the Korea LPG Association, the need to mitigate climate...

Uncertainty reigns: EIA: lower stock build may mean tighter supply; higher prices loom for financially stressed customers.(PRICING/SUPPLY)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the waning summer waxed into fall, uncertainty was the watchword among industry experts asked what this winter will bring. "I wish I had a crystal ball," says supplier William E. Cornell, president of SEA-3....

Heightened awareness: hot air balloons offer unique method to promote propane's versatility.(MARKETING)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I've been bitten by the bug of ballooning," says John Garcia, sales manager for Nelson-Putman. a Texas propane dealer. "When the pilot fires up the burner and you hear the roar of the propane, it shouts energy." ...

Golf outing another hit: despite rain on the final day, group basks at popular Florida golf resort.(PROPANE GOLFERS ASSOCIATION)
September 1, 2008... The Propane Golfers Association held its 24th annual outing June 19-21 at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., just outside Tampa. LPGas Magazine and the Propane Golfers Association sponsor the event, founded by...

The vital few and trivial many: time-tested 80/20 rule offers lesson on business prioritization.(Business Matters)
September 1, 2008... In the early 1900s, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto developed a mathematical formula to describe the uneven distribution of income and wealth in Switzerland. His study showed that 80 percent of the country's wealth was held by just 20...

Fire in the newsroom: marketers have role to play in how industry is portrayed to public.(Safety First)
September 1, 2008... I'm not sure what concerns me more about propane accident stories in the news--the apathy of the public or the apathy of some propane marketers. Many propane marketers feel like whistling through the graveyard when an incident hits...

Court limits punitive awards: Supreme Court decision expected to ground limitless disciplinary verdicts.(Legal Brief)
September 1, 2008... The U.S. Supreme Court has finally weighed in on the limits of punitive damages that may be assessed in its recent ruling in the historical Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker case. The court held that under federal maritime law, an award of...

Sales tools close at hand: professionally designed promotional materials await free marketer use.(Marketing In Motion)
September 1, 2008... Don't pass up some of the best marketing tools in the energy industry by ignoring the creative work that the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has produced with your assessment dollars. You have already paid for them, so why not use...

Exhaust hose reel.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... Coxreels introduces its 300 Series exhaust hose reel, designed to keep a facility, shop or factory free of toxic fumes. The exhaust hose reel is designed to enable the extraction of exhaust fumes directly from the source of their emission and...

Hard hats and caps.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Klein Tools has launched a new line of hard hats and caps, including the V-Gard cap and hat, Advance cap, Skullgard cap and hat and Western Outlaw hat. The new line of hard hats and caps provides a variety of Klein...

Inspection services.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... Morris Material Handling Inc. introduces inspection services for all brands of overhead cranes and hoists. Highly trained and certified technicians analyze hundreds of crane components and deliver a simple, easy-to-read report (enhanced by...

Sliding vane pump.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... A Blackmer LGLD3E V-belt sliding vane pump was used recently to transfer more than 21 million pounds of ammonia from 673 deliveries over six weeks of continuous operation without one spilled drop, according to the company. The ammonia needed to...

Eyewear.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... Sperian Protection has launched a new line of safety eyewear designed specifically for women. The W-Series offers multiple styling options, affordability and exceptional performance. The company designed the W-Series to create a secure,...

Handbook.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... A new 2008 edition of the tech-data and applications handbook from Newson Gale Inc. provides a wide range of information on controlling static electricity in hazardous areas. Information sections include a general introduction to the hazards...

Vane pumps.(Product Showcase)
September 1, 2008... Viking Pump's LVP Series of stainless steel vane pumps provide up to 14 bar (200 psi) thin liquid capability at capacities up to 36 [M.sup.3]/hr (160 gpm). The LVP Series pumps are designed for thin, corrosive liquids at higher pressures than...

Valves.(New Products)
September 1, 2008... Ceodeux S.A. Puretec introduces the new D304 standard flow cylinder valves for use with ultra high purity and corrosive gases. The D304 incorporates double-seal seating technology into tied diaphragm design valves. The innovative double-seal of...

Navigation system.(New Products)
September 1, 2008... Teletrac Inc., developer of the Fleet Director GPS-based commercial vehicle tracking and fleet management system, announces several new options for Fleet Director's automated navigation product. Real-time, fully automated, voice-communicated...

Propane plus: Massachusetts company uses flat-rate pricing program to perform service.(Snap Shot: COMPANIES TO WATCH)
September 1, 2008... The propane industry loves to give services away, but it can t afford to anymore. That s Tim Johnson s belief. Owner of Massachusetts-based Propane Plus, Johnson instituted a flat rate, upfront pricing program about four years ago to increase...