ORIGINALLY WRITTEN STAFF
Cooperative Grain & Supply of Hillsboro will join its propane distributorship interests with four other area companies to form Reliance Energy Partners Aug. 1.
The other partners are Farmers Grain Coop Elevator Company, Halstead; Mid-Kansas Coop, Moundridge; Farmers Grain Coop, Walton; and Reinert Propane, Inc., of Inman and Peabody, to form Reliance Energy Partners Aug. 1.
“What we’ve done is taken our propane department and put it in with four others,” said Lyman Adams, CG&S general manager.
He said the alliance was necessary to keep up with the changes in the propane industry.
“The things we really wanted to concentrate on are our safety measures,” Adams said.
Partners hope the alliance also will allow participating distributors to work more efficiently and remain competitive.
“We’re simply reacting to some new developments in the industry that call for higher safety standards and more efficient routes throughout our service areas,” said Don Reinert, general manager of REP.
The new alliance will make routes more efficient while retaining local ownership and personal service.
New payment options and installation services will be made available to customers.
According to Adams, a propane worker will be based in Hillsboro. Two servicemen will do site inspections on propane systems.
The company will serve Rice, Reno, McPherson, Marion, Harvey, Sedgwick, Butler and western Chase counties.
It also will offer heating and air conditioning products to Marion, east Harvey, northwest Butler and western Chase counties.
“We’re positioning ourselves to be an energy supplier that is locally owned and operated,” Reinert said. “Together we will meet our current and future customers’ energy needs safely and affordably.”
