LP Gas Magazine 2017 State of the Industry

Thank you for participating in our State of the Industry survey. Don't forget to enter your name and contact information to be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card.

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* 1. What is your operation type?

MLP

Independent marketer

Farm co-op

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* 2. What is the primary region your retail propane company serves?

New England – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Central Atlantic – Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

Lower Atlantic – Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

Midwest – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin

Gulf Coast – Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas

Rocky Mountain – Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming

West Coast – Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington

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* 3. How many annual gallons of propane does your company sell?

Less than 1 million

1-5 million

6-10 million

11-24 million

25-50 million

More than 50 million

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* 4. What is propane’s biggest energy competitor for key markets in your service territory?

Electricity

Natural gas

Heating oil

Renewables (wind, solar, etc.)

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What is your favorite piece of equipment in use at your company?

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* 6. What’s the propane industry’s biggest regulatory/legislative issue?

Tax reform

Expanding the short-haul exemption

Winter preparations and supply

State engagement (includes fight against “electrify everything” approach)

Natural gas expansion

Crane rule (third-party certification requirements)

Other (please specify)

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* 7. What is the greatest challenge or issue your company experiences with customers?

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* 8. What is the most exciting emerging market or growth opportunity for your company?

Autogas for on-road fleets

Composite cylinders

Generators

Irrigation engines

Mowers

Tankless water heaters

Forklifts

Other (please specify)

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* 9. What is the most popular appliance in your showroom? If not applicable, please enter "N/A"

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* 10. What is the greatest employee-related challenge or issue at your company?

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* 11. What’s the one safety issue that’s always at the top of your mind?

Leak tests/inspections

Do-it-yourselfers

Driving habits

Staying current with regulations

Customer-owned tanks

Education and training

Dispensing propane/product transfer

Crane operation

Other (please specify)

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* 12. What’s the best safety program or process at your company?

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* 13. What’s the most important piece of technology or software that your company uses?

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* 14. What’s the biggest trend you see in the propane industry?

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* 15. What are the THREE most pressing concerns at your company that keep you up at night?

Cash flow

Customer retention

Decisions on whether to sell the business

Employee retention

Energy competition

Equipment/facility maintenance

Growth of the business

Health care costs

Propane pricing

Propane supply availability

Regulatory/rule compliance

Safety

Weather

Other (please specify)

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* 16. What is your favorite city for a propane industry event (meeting or show)?

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* 17. Who’s the best ambassador for the propane industry as a whole?

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* 18. Thank you for taking our survey. If you would like to be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Visa gift card, please provide the following information:

First Name

Last Name

E-mail address

Phone number