Enter GE Capital, GE Oil & Gas and its partner Chesapeake Energy Corp. “We’ve been working together with them and [it] has been a good relationship,” says Tim Ozinga, co-owner and director of communications for the Mokena, IL-based fleet, which is a subsidiary of Ozinga Brothers Inc.
With the help of GE Capital, Ozinga has one CNG in a Box system in operation in Mokena; is installing a second unit in Gary, IN; and will have a third operational by the end of the year in Des Plaines, IL, adds Tim Ozinga.
“So far it’s been working out really well for us,” explains Ozinga. “There’s been a little bit of a learning curve like there is with anything new. It’s easy to use and it’s a well-built product.”
The CNG in a Box system, built by GE Oil & Gas with help from Chesapeake, is a “plug-and-play” natural gas system. It includes a high-speed reciprocating compressor producing up to 400 hp. and a GE Wayne fuel dispenser for high- and standard-flow capabilities with optional point-of-sale and credit card capabilities. It also has storage capabilities.
Ozinga says the system the company is using produces 400 hp. and can fuel at least 25 vehicles at a time. Ozinga does its vehicle filling overnight and is opening the unit up to the public during the day. It handles both time-fill and fast-fill operations. “The unit has a high output and for a single unit it has a high flow rate,” he says.
Sizable Power
The CNG in a Box solution, while similar in cost to building a CNG station, provided a better fit for the fleet, Ozinga says. “It really just fit our needs as far as power and size. It kept a lot of options open for us, and it has a small footprint, which was important since the units are being installed on existing facilities. We are not buying additional property [for this project].”
While Ozinga says the company has been very pleased with the American-made CNG in a Box system, it may not be a perfect fit for all of Ozinga Ready Mix’s facilities.
“We’re still keeping our options open, but this is a really good fit for our larger operations,” he says. “In the future, for some of our rural operations, it may not be a good fit because it is a high-horsepower unit and may not be suitable for a location that is only filling five trucks.”
Financing for the project is being provided by GE Capital.
“We’re very pleased to help Ozinga accelerate the adoption of natural gas-powered commercial vehicles,” says Eric Dusch, equipment finance chief commercial officer at GE Capital, Corporate Finance. “This transaction bringstogether innovative solutions from GE Oil & Gas and GE Capital to help an American business grow and expand.”
The fleet made the decision to switch to natural gas vehicles back in 2011 and hopes to complete the conversion of its entire fleet by 2020. Fleet Owner’s 2012 Vocational Fleet of the Year [FO, 12/12, p38], Ozinga Ready Mix now has about 150 natural gas vehicles in its fleet. Included in these are both Kenworth rear-discharge units and Oshkosh front-discharge units that were retrofitted with a natural gas glider kit from McNeilus Bridgemaster.
Obvious value
“Once we began operating CNG trucks, we quickly realized the value of adding natural gas fuel to our operations because it’s abundant and affordable,” said Marty Ozinga IV, president. “This is one more step on the path to achieving energy independence and expanding the use of alternative energy in the Chicago area.”
Based on its experiences with natural gas to date, Ozinga says Ozinga Brothers decided to launch a new business to assist fleets looking to convert. Ozinga Energy debuted this spring and provides consulting, engineering, construction and training to companies looking to invest in natural gas infrastructure and equipment.
“We did a lot of the stuff on our own [in reaching this point],” Ozinga says. “There are only a few companies out there that do all it all, and we weren’t happy with the options.
“We gained a lot of experience going through the process ourselves. We were getting a lot of exposure and a lot of calls, and [we thought] there was a great opportunity to leverage that into a new business to help others,” he adds.
Ozinga Brothers is proving that the engine of change in the alternative fuel world is the businesses you might least expect.
“You think of the Googles and the Microsofts, but it’s really the concrete companies and the trucking companies that are at the forefront of the energy [revolution],” Ozinga says. “I sit in my office and look out the window and see all these natural gas trucks leaving the yard and it’s exciting.”
