Sarver Landscape Maintenance makes move to propane mowers

Sarver Landscape Maintenance adds six propane mowers to its fleet. Photo: Sarver Landscape Maintenance

ProGas Inc., based in Zelienople, Pa., partnered with Sarver Landscape Maintenance Co. to help the lawn and landscaping company replace six of its gasoline-powered mowers with propane models.

According to Shale Media Group, which reports on the shale oil and gas industries, Sarver Landscape Maintenance reached out to ProGas during the Tri-State Alternative Fueling Expo, where ProGas featured an exhibit on using propane mowers and small engines. In recent years, ProGas introduced propane mowers to Slippery Rock University and converted several school bus, shuttle and police vehicle fleets to propane autogas.

Sarver Landscape Maintenance purchased six John Deere propane-powered mowers from West Central Equipment in Butler, Pa., after the show. Shale Media Group reports that the propane mowers now make up one-third of Sarver Landscape Maintenance’s fleet.

ProGas installed a 1,000-gallon filling station at Sarver Landscape Maintenance’s location, which provides aluminum cylinders to fit on the mowing equipment. Adam Sarver, president of Sarver Landscape Maintenance, says this helps his company control costs, reducing time spent on filling mowers at gas stations.

Shale Media Group adds that ProGas helped the landscaping company apply for the Propane Education & Research Council’s (PERC) Propane Mower Incentive Program, giving the company $1,000 toward the purchase of each new propane mower. Sarver says the incentive, which expires April 30, convinced him to convert his fleet to propane.

Sarver hopes the switch to propane mowers differentiates his company from other landscaping companies, adding there aren’t many companies using propane mowers in his area.

“It seems that Pittsburgh is a little slower to adopt the green initiatives in comparison to other regions across the country,” he says in a press release. “We’re hoping to be on the cutting edge and eventually run completely on propane.”