Self-Service Propane Vending Machine Business

Self-Service Propane Vending Machine Business Summertime revelers enjoying camping or backyard BBQs no longer have to wait in long lines to fill their empty propane tanks or make endless drives to find an open propane station selling full or replacement cylinders. Sleegers, a Canadian-based propane company, has launched “My Propane Buddy,” a self-service propane vending machine that sells full cylinders and accepts empty tanks in exchange. The company is growing organically, and so far, it has placed its retained-ownership machines at 66 sites across Ontario. They’ve also sold numerous rebranded units to a separate Ontario company. In the U.S., Sleegers has been selling its self-service equipment for about 10 years, mainly to propane providers, with 8,000 kiosks installed across 5,000 locations. The setup is simple. Service stations only need a 110-volt power supply to operate. Each machine comes with a cellular modem and data SIM card. Payment devices communicate directly with banks and financial institutions through an acquirer. The units hold 24 20-lb. propane cylinders. Each tank is properly certified, though it may not be new. Up to four additional boxes can be daisy-chained to the main kiosk, increasing the total capacity to 96 cylinders. Only the main unit needs to be plugged into a power source. “Customers just stop in to make a purchase or bring their empties for an exchange,” says Sleegers Director of Business Development Brad Rice. “They simply make their selection on the easy-to-follow dashboard screen, follow the on-screen prompts, and listen to the automated voice instructions to complete the purchase or exchange. Once they make their payment, a bay door opens with a ready-to-go full tank, or a separate door to place the empty cylinder if making an exchange. In less than a minute, they’re all set and ready to go back to their summertime fun.” Rice says pricing for service station providers is based on the consumer’s needs and tailored to their operational requirements. He recommends that interested parties contact Sleegers directly for details on availability, pricing and setup. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sleegers Engineered Products Inc., 5 Cuddy Blvd., London, Ontario, Canada N5V 3Y3 (ph 519-685-7444; info@sleegers.ca; www.sleegers.ca).

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