We have negotiated a new contract for the delivery of propane to our members. Ferrellgas will once again be our supplier. The contract will run for five (5) years. The terms of the contract remains the same. See http://www.galwayco-op.com/propane.htm for more information.
There are several factors that needed to be considered prior to entering into a third contract with Ferrellgas, Service, customer support, and of course, pricing. We have been with Ferrellgas for about six years now. For those members who were with us when the Co-op was first formed, you remember we faced a difficult decision about a year into our contract with Heritage Propane. They wanted to up our propane and delivery cost. At that time we only had about 180 members. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was clear we needed to move on. We decided to go with Ferrellgas. The commercial account manager, Mike O’Brien and general manager Doug Muha did a fine job of convincing us that our 180 members and future members would be in good hands. We were given better pricing than we had, and a larger marketing area. Switching our 180 propane tanks was challenging, and at times it caused tension between us and Ferrellgas. But in the end, we took the boxing gloves off, shook hands and really went to work. Millions of gallons of propane and 10 thousand members later we signed on the dotted line once again. Trust, and a mutual understanding that the deal has to work for both parties is what makes far a good partnership – I think we have that and more. Since we’ve partnered with Ferrellgas our membership has grown tremendously. So much so that we have earned the distinction as the largest residential fuel buying group in the US. Our thanks to Doug, and especially Mike, who never gave up, and our thanks to Ferrellgas who in 2006 had enough trust and confidence in us to realize we could do what has never been done before.
Our fuel oil membership has also grown tremendously, so much so that we believe there is a need for more trucks and drivers so we can accommodate more potential members in areas we currently do not have fuel oil coverage. We are exploring several options including buying our own trucks and hiring our own drivers.
Our offices and showroom at 6049 Fish House Rd in Galway is close to being completed. The showroom will showcase the finest fireplaces, wood, gas and pellet stoves made. We will also offer premium wood pellets at reduced pricing.
Solar has become so popular over the past 5 years. So many folks are realizing how this energy source can save them a lot of money. We have interviewed 10 companies both national and local that offer solar systems and we have found one that we feel would be our best partner. So we will also have a solar power display in our showroom that in a simple and straightforward way will educate folks on the benefits of generating solar power through the use of solar panels. Financing options will also be available.
Our heating, cooling and plumbing division has done exceptionally well over the past your. We have saved many of our members and non-members a lot of money in this area. We are certified installers for Bryant and Viessmann. We also now carry water purification systems and on-demand hot water systems. www.Co-opHVAC.com
We formed 518Handyman.com a while back and it’s been a huge success! “Remodeling, windows, doors, siding and flooring done right, or it’s free.” That’s how good we are.
Roofing Lastly, we started our roofing division over a year ago. So many people have saved so much money using this service. Commercial or residential, “Nobody does it better, or for less.”www.roofinstalls.com
We’re going to get bigger and we’re going to get better because we understand, “we’re all in it together.”
