ProCOT: A Look Back 25 Years

A year after the establishment of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) in 1996, the Texas Educational & Marketing Foundation (TPEMF), now known as the Propane Council of Texas (ProCOT), filed its Articles of Incorporation. The Propane Council of Texas is now on the cusp of celebrating its 25th anniversary.

About the Council

ProCOT, as many propane marketers call it in the Lone Star State, is a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of propane in Texas. It additionally implements a number of propane and consumer education projects and programs.

ProCOT is funded through the Propane Education & Research Council with 20% of the assessment collected by PERC made available for each state to apply to the national PERC council for consideration programs and projects for their state. The money is not automatically sent to states. Each state foundation or council must have a specific project or program in which they apply for. Any funds are perpetually rolled over until that state has worthwhile programs or projects they want to use the money for. If that program or project does not use all the funds, then that state must return unused funds and can reapply for those for another project down the road.

The Council is a governed by the TPGA President, PresidentElect, Secretary, Treasurer, two supplier members and nine individuals from the Texas propane industry who periodically review and approve new programs and projects.

Early Years

Some of the projects from the early years are still implemented today. For instance, one of the first projects launched was Country Livin/Easy Livin, a 4-page consumer newsletter. The newsletter that debuted in 1998 is still distributed to this day, under the name of Propane Living. It began with a distribution of a little over 35,000 copies a quarter. In the last quarter of 2021, it reached over 122,000 propane consumers. The newsletter provides consumers with information on incentives, rebates, safety, and propane tips, as well as the benefits of using propane in their homes.

Another one of the early programs that still endures today is the Propane Safety Tip & Recipe Wall Calendar. The program was a vehicle to get propane safety information to propane customers in a way they would use it and see it. In 2002, TPEMF produced 17,850 for the 2003 calendar year. Calendar production has nearly tripled since then with over 51,000 calendars for 2022 being produced in 2021.

AFRED & Propane Council Partnerships

In the early years of the Foundation and through 2013, the Texas Propane Education & Marketing Foundation/Propane Council and the Alternative Fuel Research Education Division (AFRED) teamed up on a number of projects offered to the propane industry.

1997-1998 1999 2001 2001 2002

The Texas Propane Educational & Marketing Foundation (TPEMF) is formed Country Livin/Easy Livin (now Propane Living) introduced Propane Marketer Website Program in partnership with AFRED launched

Propane Forklift Safety Flipcharts first produced in partnership with AFRED Propane Safety Tip & Recipe Calendar Program introduced

In 2001-2002, TPEMF and AFRED partnered in the early internet age to fund dozens of rebates so propane retailers could create websites for their companies.

In the early years, TPEMF worked with AFRED to help fund the popular Propane Forklift Safety Flipchart, a 13-month bi-lingual flipchart used by warehouses and forklift operators to promote propane forklift safety. Nearly a decade later, ProCOT updated the flipcharts and republished it for the industry. And to this day now, a digital version of the flipchart can be downloaded and printed off of ProCOT’s website.

In 2013, AFRED invited ProCOT to help supplement its initial safety meeting notebook with 5 to 7-minute videos for each chapter to augment the discussion material. With ProCOT’s help, the binder was updated, and videos were included for nearly all of the safety meetings.

Most Asked About Program

The Duty to Warn Safety mailing program has one of the highest distributions of all consumer safety programs. The program allows propane marketers to provide their Texas customers with a Texas version of the PERC Important Information for You & Your Family brochure at a very minimal cost, while being provided with ample paperwork to document their mailing. ProCOT covers brochure printing and postage.

This winter, the Texas Duty to Warn Program distributed over 245,000 safety brochures to Texas propane customers and retailers across the state. The program has grown 108% since its inception in 2007.

Memorable Marketing Projects

A project that stands out is the Propane Exceptional Energy Balloon Program. In 2005, the TPEMF enlisted the help of former oil executive turned hot air balloon pilot Philip Bryant to launch the aerial advertising program.

“Not only was propane the fuel of choice for hot air balloonists, at the time, hot air balloon advertising had the highest retention and recall of any other advertising, more so than TV or radio or any other medium,” ProCOT’s education & marketing director Jackie Mason said.

Texas was a hot bed for hot air balloon activity, from the mountains of El Paso to the Piney Woods of East Texas to NASA on the Gulf Coast. The festivals not only offered a captive audience, but were highly photographed, and pictures appeared in everything from local newspapers to being incorporated into varying works of art.

The program ran from 20042011. After 7 years, the balloon

2003-2004 2003 2004 2004-2011 2005-2008

Statewide Propane Billboard Campaign ProCOT sponsored First Contact Safety Training begins

Marketer Highway Sign Program launched Propane Exceptional Energy Balloon Program

Energy Guys Statewide TV Campaign Texas

had reached its useful life/airworthiness and a digital age of advertising was slowly emerging, so the program was retired.

Around the same time the balloon program launched, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) launched the national Energy Guy Campaign with TV and print advertising. ProCOT wanted to augment the popular national campaign on the state level and invested in bringing the Energy Guys to Texas TV airwaves for 4 years, until the U.S Department of Commerce implemented a 5-year marketing restriction. The restriction applied nationally to PERC, as well as statewide with ProCOT.

The Propane Education & Research Act of 1996 had provisions within the federal law that if the price of propane reached a certain level, PERC and state affiliated foundations and councils were restricted from consumer marketing. The consumer marketing ban was finally lifted in 2014 with the Propane Education & Research Enhancement Act. The Council implements consumer and public messaging in a variety of ways and publications. The Council has promoted the propane brand over the years via advertising campaigns on the Lone Star Radio network, Texas Monthly magazine, Texas Farm & Ranch, Texas Farm Bureau’s publication Texas Agriculture, multiple builder publications, and various other news outlets. It also issues press releases outside of its partner projects with propane retailers.

Safety & Training

Over the years, ProCOT has implemented a variety of training courses, from NFPA 58 training to CSR training with the Milford Therrell Award winning First Contact Safety Training for front office staff. A similar comprehensive training is now offered through PERC online on demand.

The Council has always had a relationship with the fire service and has worked with them on multiple projects including cooking grease fire demo trailer, computer-based training, as well as our popular in-

2007-2011 2007 2010 2012 2013

Propane Exceptional Energy bulk storage decals

Lone Star Radio Network Statewide PSA Campaign Propane Mower & Vehicle Incentives Program launched ProCOT Propane Emergencies Training begins at TEEX

Fueling Texas Autogas Campaign initiated

Duty to Warn Safety Mailing Program established

person Propane Emergencies Training course for firefighters and emergency responders that launched in 2012. ProCOT hopes to resume this program in 2022. The Propane Emergencies trainings are held nearly annually at what firefighters call the Disney World of firefighting, Texas A&M University’s TEEX Brayton Training Field in College Station. The training field hosts firefighters and emergency responders from all over the globe. The ProCOT sponsored training is a combination of classroom and tactical field training attended by many rural departments at minimal cost.

Current ProCOT Projects

The Propane Council of Texas just wrapped up 2021 with a number of ongoing programs, which we call legacy projects, that are popular and reoccurring like the calendar, consumer newsletter and duty to warn.

New in 2021 was the beta Texas Saves with Propane Appliance Rebate Program. For the pilot year, we wanted to start small The Council offered rebates on propane water heaters and furnaces to the end consumer. PERC already has generous rebate program for builders, so the Council wanted to complement their efforts and offer an incentive to consumers, as well.

By the end of 2021, the Council awarded 117 rebates to the end consumers and is looking at revamping the program for 2022. Propane retailers can still get in rebate applications for customer purchases from 2021, with receipts dated no later than 12/31/2021. Applications for 2021 purchases must be received by no later than the extended deadline of March 1, 2022. If extended by PERC, the Council plans to launch their 2022 revamped rebate program by April of this year.

The rebate program is not the only incentives previously offered by the Council. The Council also offered mower and vehicle incentives for nearly a decade. The mower and vehicle incentives have not been offered since 2019 after the TCEQ TERP program was expanded to include more opportunities for propane. With the expansion of TERP grants and incentives over the past three years, the Council has funded a grant expert to be on hand toassist propane retailers, fleets and anyone else who wants to apply for on and offroad grants and incentives, helping them navigate the grant process.

Additionally in 2021, the Council wanted to piggyback on the popularity of the new Propane Energy for Everyone brand and implemented a fourth quarter 2021 radio, internet and social media campaign across Texas that will tentatively wrap up January 31, 2022.

Turn to Page 13 for results from 2021 ProCOT programs and projects.

Plans for the Future

The Council plans to continue their core legacy programs while still in demand and will look at other opportunities that come up.

2014 2017-2020 2019 2020 2021

ProCOT Propane Builder newsletter introduced Proudly Propane/ Propane Can Do That Marketing Campaign implemented Propane vehicle grant writing services instituted ProCOT enters Google Grants Program ProCOT Propane Appliance Rebate Program launched

ProCOT Propane Energy for Everyone Statewide Advertising Campaign