Will customers come along with Eric Hansen as the lawn-care entrepreneur picks up the nation's first Ford F350 Roush propane truck?

The last month for Competitive Lawn Service, Inc., has created more media attention than I ever dreamed possible.
And all of this is being created for just doing the “right” thing. All of the focus was to get to this point and be in the position to create the first alternative-fuel commercial lawn-maintenance crew in the country. Now, with a few tweaks and adjustments, we have done it. Where do we go from here? Using propane as our fuel source is the right thing to do. How do we develop this business in 2010 to be productive and forge ahead with “green”?

Ford F350 Roush Propane Truck 2010

On December 16, 2009, we picked up the first Ford F350 Roush propane truck in the country. We drove back on propane from the Roush assembly plant in Livonia, Michigan, outside of Detroit, to the Chicagoland area.
It was strange to drive by gas stations coming back from Detroit and realizing that we would not be able to get fuel at most of them. So we stopped in for a rest, a sandwich, and nothing else. This truck used the first few gallons of what will be thousands of gallons of cleaner propane that we will burn over the next 12 months.


Ford F350 Roush  Propane Truck 2010

As I was interviewed by DBusiness magazine when I was in Detroit, I was asked the question, “So what was it like to meet Jack Roush?” My answer was “exciting,” but not for the reason that one would expect. Jack Roush is successful in many different arenas. Engineering and manufacturing automotive parts as well as racing have been passions of Jack’s throughout his life. With his successes, he should be exciting for anyone to meet.
My excitement was completely different. What is exciting for me is that both of us see that same opportunity in propane as an alternative fuel for fleet equipment. We both see how clean lawn equipment and trucks can run on propane, as well as the significant reduction in maintenance and the reduced emissions.

Ford F350 Roush  Propane Truck 2010

With Roush engineering and production and the three years of effort to retrofit, the goals of both of our companies are aligned. Now is the time to focus on how the environment can be impacted one fleet at a time. Roush is and has been dedicated to this, as is Competitive Lawn Service.
In 2009 we used about 1,500 gallons of propane in our operations for lawn equipment. For 2010, we are working on reaching a goal of 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of propane use in both equipment and fleet vehicles. We typically use 35,000 gallons of gasoline in our operations, so this will be a 15 to 30 percent reduction in unleaded gasoline usage in 2010.

Ford F350 Roush Propane Truck 2010

The next few months will be the time to work with our potential clients. We need to tell them about their ability to hire a company that can provide quality service, a fair price, and also bring to the table environmentally sound practices. By maintaining commercial and residential properties in this way, all of us benefit.
So the opportunity is here—it's time to run with it. It is time to take this from vision to operations. We have two years under our belts for lawn equipment; we are just starting with fleet trucks. Our ability to operate a company on alternative fuel is sure to have more bumps and adjustments moving forward. Will clients flock to an alternative-fuel lawn company?
We will soon find out in 2010 as marketing begins and new contracts are signed because of this sustainable green initiative that we have started.