LP Gas, December 2011

Owens Energy Expect the unexpected in the Wild West of Show Low Ariz BY BRIAN RICHESSON SENIOR EDITOR O wens Energy isnt your typical retail propane company especially when the owners cant say how many times weve had guns pulled on us co owner Dennis Owens guesses Welcome to the Wild West of Show Low Ariz The action takes place about 6500 feet in elevation where the Owens brothers Dan and Dennis have serviced customers across challenging terrain and in unique propane applications since 1999 About 175 miles northeast of Phoenix Show Low is known as the recreational area of Arizona with plenty of camping fishing hiking golfing and skiing Then theres the area east of town where hundreds of families live off the electrical grid on ranchettes that rely on renewable energy solar and wind and generators for backup power Propane is used for heating and cooking and most appliances run on gas including dryers refrigerators and the generators These off grid accounts represent about a quarter of the companys business A lot of the customers are off the grid says Dennis Owens adding that his brother lives off the grid as well They want to be kind of solitary In some areas you dont drive your personal vehicle because you might get shot at but in a propane truck you dont have a problem Its interesting some things we run into Thats if the company can get there About half of its customers are only accessible from dirt roads and in some cases Owens Energy had to get creative to service them because its not worth trashing a 150000 truck to sell a modest amount of gas Owens says In one case the company ran a 300 to 400 foot line up a mountain to the customers house because it was so difficult to access with a bobtail The customers tank is about a quarter mile from the house Another customer set up a small trailer to move his tank closer to the paved roads to have it filled Well try to work with them in ways they can get service without us having to go clear to the home Owens says The Owens brothers have roots in the area Dan Owens had been transporting propane in Canada before returning to Arizona and uniting with his brother Dennis Owens had hopes of keeping his job as an electrical contractor while working in propane but he discovered that wasnt possible We knew a lot of people here and we got busy real quick Dennis Owens says LPG COMPANIES TO WATCH TEAM Owners and brothers Dan and Dennis Owens LOCATION Show Low Ariz FOUNDED 1999 EMPLOYEES 9 CUSTOMERS 3000 PROPANE SALES About 2 million gallons annually NOTEWORTHY Owens Energy has a customer who applied for a Propane Exceptional Products incentive and is likely to be approved It is a 1000 incentive to purchase and report performance of a Generac off grid generator The Propane Education Research Council launched the program in October ONLINE www owensenergy com Does your company have a unique story to tell Let us put it in writing E mail brichesson@ questex com 48 LPGas December 2011 www LPGasmagazine com