LP Gas, October 2011

Continued from page 8 Continued from page 9 Kate has been with PERC since the beginning and helped build the organization She led our multifaceted consumer education efforts that produced important returns on the industrys investment She contributed in many ways and surely will be missed Willis said in a press release In a subsequent interview with LP Gas Magazine Willis conceded that the move was personally difficult for him but insisted that it reflected virtually unanimous sentiment among PERC officers and council members Ever since the Department of Commerce restriction hit we have been realigning our staff and budget priorities Willis said Since then we attempted to make internal changes through altering assignments roles and responsibilities onboard with a staff that was built for a consumer education function I concluded that level of internal restructuring wasnt as successful as I had hoped I concluded what we needed going forward was a different set of skills and experience that existing staff at certain positions did not possess he said Caskins release came shortly after the announced resignation of Brian Feehan vice president in charge of PERCs engine fuel programs Feehan left last month to become president of the Industrial Truck Association More staff changes are likely and will include modifications in roles and responsibilities and possibly one or two further personnel changes Willis said He anticipates hiring new staff members to do some of the work that has historically been done by outside vendors in order to cut 800000 to 1 million in annual costs He does not expect the personnel changes to substantially change the organizations 35 million payroll Willis also announced that PERCs five advisory committees will consolidate into three groups focused on research training and markets He said all of the changes are being made in consultation with the PERC Executive Committee which oversees the councils personnel policies The changes surprised many industry insiders especially since they came on the heels of a glowing report from an outside firm hired to assess the PERC staff ExecuVision International last year was charged with evaluating whether PERC had the appropriate structure staff size and personnel for its mission Among its findings PERC has a modern structure which would be the envy of many for profit enterprises with which I work It is significant to note that only 15 percent of all businesses in the USA exceed 25 million in revenue PERC administers 35 40 million To accomplish the work designated to them in house would normally require somewhere between 150 and 200 people PERC has gone an entirely different direction Rather than perform all tasks in house with a large staff office and infrastructure PERC has hired highly competent in house employees to manage external resources This is a trend many private companies are emulating the report stated Willis noted that the ExecuVision report focused on how the PERC staff compared to other organizations but did not delve into core programs and activities The scope and timetable for the staff and advisory committee changes are expected to be discussed in greater detail at the councils October meeting in Washington D C NEWS BRIEFS Ferrellgas purchases California retailer Ferrellgas Partners L P acquired Economy Propane Inc an independent propane retailer in Lakeport Calif The purchase is the companys first in its fiscal year that began Aug 1 and the fourth this calendar year Terms of the deal were not disclosed This most recent purchase adds to the approximate 225 acquisitions the company has completed in its 72 year history During that time Ferrellgas has grown from a small family owned business to a publicly traded company that is the nations second largest propane retailer and through its Blue Rhino operation the nations largest provider of propane by portable tank exchange Roush CleanTech recalls vans Roush CleanTech is recalling certain model year 2009 11 Ford E 150 E 250 and E 350 54 liter engine vans wagons and cutaways as well as model year 2010 11 Ford E 450 68 liter engine cutaway vehicles that use the Roush branded CleanTech propane autogas fuel system The fuel rails included in the kits contain improperly seated injector retention clips which could result in a leak and subsequent fire according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Roush is notifying affected owners and the company will replace the defective part for free the recall notes Device inspection fee defeated in N M New Mexico propane marketers will be spared 19000 annually after a proposal by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to increase fees on meters and scales was defeated according to the New Mexico Propane Gas Association which along with other affected industries objected to the new fees There are about 545 LP gas meters and 265 scales throughout the state that are used for commercial purposes and would have been subjected to the annual inspection fee the association said Continued on page 12 10 LPGas October 2011 www LPGasmagazine com