HOULTON, Maine — Houlton Power Sports prides itself in providing a diverse line of products. Now you can add propane sales to the list.
In late summer, work began at Houlton Power Sports as they added a propane filling station.
“We had our filling station installed on the North Road side of our large U-shaped parking lot,” said Houlton Power Sports manager Jim Gravel. “The location of the tank was very important for some of our customers. With [its placement] they have the ability to pull right up to the station with any type of vehicle. We are able to easily fill anything that comes our way.”
The addition of a propane filling station had been discussed but never solidified until the closing of Maine Potato Growers in Houlton.
“We have been considering putting in a pumping station for a couple of years now, mostly just to service our own needs,” explained Gravel. “Once we learned of MPG closing their Houlton location it was apparent that we needed to get into the propane business.”
Houlton Power Sports locations in Augusta and Turner already installed propane filling stations a few years ago.
“It really benefits us to have propane access,” said Gravel. “However, the financial commitment of installing a filling station was substantial and we simply could not justify it for our own needs. It has just been over the last year that we started realizing that there was a much larger need for another propane filling station in town beyond our own needs. The propane filling station aligns very well with our exciting RV business and with the need for a pumping station in town with expanded hours, it seemed like the right move.”
Each employee has been trained in pumping propane.
“There was an extensive amount of training that all of our employees had to participate in,” Gravel said. “We had the option to only train one person within the company, however we felt it was important for all of our employees to be fully trained to pump propane. By having all of our employees trained, we are able to pump propane during our complete business hours no matter how busy we are.”
Houlton Power Sports business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“The decision was made early on that if we were going to do this then we were going to make the commitment to our customers to give the best customer service we could,” explained Gravel. “The last thing we would want is a customer to show up to get a tank filled and be told that we didn’t have anyone to fill it or only be able to offer selected hours. With the company and all of our employees putting in the time needed to get certified we will always have someone to pump propane.”
Though the propane filling station makes sense with their recreational vehicle sales, Houlton Power Sports found clientele beyond their own.
“At first we thought we would be mostly serving RV customers or the backyard barbecue,” Gravel said. “We have learned since getting into this there is a much larger need for propane than just that. There are many businesses, farmers and individuals that use propane for a number of reasons throughout the entire year that will be looking for a pumping station to serve their needs.”
Houlton Power Sports will be selling propane for $3.59 a gallon, which equivalents to around $16.87 to fill a 20-pound tank.
“Our price is much less expensive then just exchanging the tank,” added Gravel.
