tBusy winter ahead
San Juan Propane always had an office at 1593 Mt. Baker Road, Suite A in Eastsound but for the past 19 years, it was an adjunct office to the main office in Friday Harbor. As of Oct. 1 the Orcas office will be a “stand alone office” according to Jim Reuscher, the new District Manager.
Reuscher is managing the new office and Carol Lee holds a new position as Customer Service Representative. Three faces familiar to island residents have not changed. Jim Passer who has worked for the company on Orcas for 19 years, Erick Crowe who has been with the company for 16 years, and Stephen Maier with eight years at the company all will continue in their same jobs under the new office policy.
Reuscher said, “We just got too big to go through Friday Harbor. We needed to make decisions here on Orcas, and not go through someone else.
“The Orcas business shares the same corporate office but all the decisions are made here about the area we service.
“We know this will mean we can run the business better and serve the customers better. Jim and Erick have been here since San Juan Propane had a 1,000-gallon storage tank. We now have a 30,000-gallon tank and are putting in another 30,000-gallon tank by the first of the year. They have grown the business and done a superior job.”
Reuscher advised Orcas customers to buy propane early. “We are coming into our busy time. People should fill their propane tanks before the cold weather sets in. Propane in the winter is like gas in the summer. There is a seasonality factor. It is more expensive in the winter. As soon as we get a stretch of cold weather, the refineries get busier and there are supply and demand issues. Prices move in 10 cent increments and could fluxuate up to 30 cents higher over the course of the winter. People can save an average of 20 cents a gallon by filling up early.
“On Orcas, there are many mountain locations. In the snowy weather, we can’t get to some of them until the weather breaks. Sometimes that can be weeks. It is important for people to check their tank levels now, and be prepared for the cold weather. Pay attention to the tank. Look at the gauge. Call us when you are in the 20 to 30 percent full range. That’s really important now, when it is not imperative that we get to you right away,” Reuscher said.
“It’s a huge responsibility from a safety factor when it comes to keeping you warm and in gas. Here, every one of these guys takes that responsibility seriously,” he said.
“The customer service representative – Carol – is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. She is responsible for handling propane orders, setting up new customers, invoicing, payment processing and billing issues, all of which are now handled from this local office. We have voice mail set up to handle urgent concerns for our service and delivery personnel,” Reuscher said.
Reuscher has been with San Juan Propane for more than five years, working out of the Friday Harbor office. He has lived in Friday Harbor for eight years. He is currently looking for a place to live weekdays on Orcas. His background includes regional management with PepsiCo for 14 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, the US Navy and a degree in Accounting from Arizona State University.
Lee moved to Orcas from Utah earlier this year after retiring from a job as a schoolteacher.
The Orcas office will handle propane needs on all of Orcas, Waldron, Blakley, Shaw, Sinclair and Crane Islands.
