Inter-Island Propane Brings a Community
Together with Cargas Energy

CHALLENGES

The New Kids on the Block in a Complex Service Environment

In San Juan County, composed of a group of small islands in the Salish Sea, small propane companies were getting bought up by bigger companies. This left area residents with very few choices for propane providers—something entrepreneurs Donny Galt and Jimmie Lawson saw as detrimental to the tight-knit community.

“We wanted to take our business knowledge, dedication, experience, and accomplishments and build a company that will keep living in the San Juan County sustainable for Islanders,” said Galt. “We set our sights on delivering legendary customer service consistently throughout all of the islands, providing local jobs, operating in an environmentally friendly way, and giving back to our community.”

Galt and Lawson had plenty of entrepreneurial and HVAC experience when they started Inter-Island Propane, but they were new players in the long-established propane industry. Most notably, there was the issue of logistics. With San Juan County residents spread across multiple islands, Galt and Lawson couldn’t operate their practice like a traditional fuel delivery company. Instead of driving bobtails to individual tanks, they’d have to establish a network of fuel depots across the islands and find a way to transport propane and heating oil across water and land. And to do that, they’d need a software partner that could handle their unique logistics.

“The first thing I started studying immediately was software to run the company,” said Galt. “I knew from past experiences in management that that was going to be the endgame for how we’re successful in this program.”

Lawson added, “There [were] four or five companies we looked at, and Cargas ended up being above and beyond.”

According to Galt, the integrated software and hardware make it easy to schedule barges to the outer islands and forecast bulk deliveries. “As we grow, we have found it easier to sleep at night knowing that we have the best management software available. With Cargas Energy, we can see real-time tank data levels, which helps us keep our customer tanks full.” 

Galt also shared that the convenience of web-based management was a priority for his company. Cargas Energy software enables them to view information in real-time and make updates from anywhere, anytime. 

“I love that I can access the software via my Android phone to log into my shift, track deliveries, and input everything by phone,” said Galt, who serves as a driver as well as co-owner. “Especially convenient is that Google Maps, which constantly learns our rural roads and recognizes routes, is incorporated into the Mobile Delivery feature.” 

Additionally, Galt shared that customers value having the ability to access their accounts online (via the Silverline customer web portal connected to Cargas Energy) and see their usage. “Second homeowners love that they can see if there are any abnormal spikes in use, which can happen due to doors and windows being left open, heating or hot water system issues, increased use from vacation rental guests, etc.  The technology is there in Cargas Energy, and we use it!” 

BENEFITS

Growth, Powered by Superior Service Capabilities

The Cargas Energy software implementation went live in November of 2016. Since then, Inter-Island Propane has been steadily gaining customers and earning a reputation of excellence in San Juan County. 

Some of the Cargas Energy modules, features, and integrations Inter-Island Propane uses to live up to their reputation include: 

• Fuel Delivery – Routing, wireless dispatching, mobile delivery 
• Customer Web Portal – Integration with Silverline Solutions
• Routing – Cargas RouteBuilder with Trimble MAPS & Copilot 
• Tank Monitoring – Integrations with Tank Utility and Otodata 
• Cargas Pay – Embedded payments processing 

Integrating these tools has granted Inter-Island Propane more visibility into customers’ needs each day. For instance, the integration of Cargas Energy with tank monitors offers data snapshots whenever the team needs them. This eliminates the need to forecast fuel usage in tanks with variable usage and mitigates runouts. 

Galt also shared that Cargas Energy has played a significant role in Inter-Island Propane’s business growth plan. The software’s query system enables Galt and Lawson to easily create reports and drill down into data that gives them the insights they need to make informed business decisions. 

“We have confidence in the software, its forecasts, and its dependability. This makes us confident in our daily actions, which ultimately helps us serve our customers better.” 

According to Galt, using Cargas Energy has increased the company’s reputation among customers and the wider community. Although Inter-Island Propane is smaller than local competitors, it’s more advanced and reliable due to the company’s investments in top-of-the-line software.