A green fuel for green thumbs: one landscaper’s story

Tony Elmore, the president of Elmore Enterprises, Inc., in Ithaca, switched two of his businesses’ mowers to propane autogas about three years ago. Today, he continues to enjoy the positive change this has brought to one aspect of his diverse business.

Besides landscaping and property maintenance, the company also offers tree care and arboriculture services, excavating services and sidewalk snow removal in Tompkins, Schuyler, and Seneca Counties.

And while it’s just autogas lawn mowers at the moment, Tony has his eye on future improvements with the help of propane autogas.

“As we start replacing our trucks, I plan to replace them with propane-fueled models,” he says. “A big part of this decision is knowing I have a reliable propane supplier who is always there to give me support when and where I need it.”

Significant improvements in the bottom line cannot be emphasized enough, Tony goes on.

“Look, propane is cheaper to run your mowers on,” he says. “The gas mowers we use burn up about three gallons an hour. Meanwhile, the propane mowers I invested in use less than one gallon an hour. That alone saves the business a significant amount of money.”

Tony says it’s also been proven that motors powered by propane autogas have longer life spans than gasoline motors, and that means an additional savings.

“You can’t ignore the environmental impact, either,” he says. “Propane is simply cleaner and greener and produces fewer emissions. I feel good about it because I want to leave this place a little bit better for my kids than where I started. I think propane autogas is one of the ways I can accomplish that.”