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McMahon Courtesy K wik Trip One Company. Countless Solutions. Kwik Trip has established 10 compressed natural gas, or CNG stations in Wisconsin with plans to add about a half a dozen more. CNG fuel is helping New North companies save money and improve sustainability efforts. Sweet payback Trillium and Kwik Trip stations count on forward-thinking New North operations like Green Bay-based regional truckload carrier Paper Transport Inc. (PTI) and others to expand CNG station networks across the country. "We began our CNG journey threeand-a-half years ago, and immediately realized the benefits," says Jeff Shefchik, PTI president. His company is among the first to begin moving toward a fleet with a significant number of natural gas-powered trucks. Paper Transport began testing two Kenworth natural gas trucks last year, and recently became one of Kenworth's first customers to CNG at-a-glance C ompressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a readily available alternative to gasoline made by compressing natural gas (consisting mostly of methane) to less than one percent of its volume. » The fuel is odorless, colorless and tasteless, and drawn from domestically drilled natural gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. » Worldwide, natural gas powers more than 12 million vehicles, with 250,000 of these in the United States. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m run CNG-powered Kenworth trucks. PTI first used CNG on its Green Bay-to-Chicago routes. As more fueling stations began building out, the company expanded to include hauling construction and consumer products throughout the Midwest. So appealing is the natural gas alternative that Shefchik plans to replace 25 percent of PTI's dieselpowered units in its 400-truck fleet with trucks running on CNG by the end of this year, which will provide a significant competitive advantage. "This is a huge deal for the New North as well as our American economy because 100 percent of fuel commodity costs stays here in the United States," he says, adding that the alternative fuel creates additional jobs for the future. Shefchik believes continually fluctuating oil prices will stay high and will help fuel the development of natural gas alternatives in the United States. "The dollar savings might not seem as significant to some, but it adds up to a point where CNG makes sense economically, environmentally and sustainably in the New North," Shefchik says. 920.751.4200 \ www.mcmgrp.com Industrial Communications and Control Solutions • networking • connectivity • control • security • power supplies and protection • support and supplies • supply chain solutions APPLETON 800-622-3353 www.anixter.com N o v e m b e r 2 013 • Insight | 13