The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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C ohler Fuel Oil Co. was established 76 years ago and now Allan Cohn, the third generation of his family to run the business, said he is looking to Bioheat as "the gateway to a renewable energy fu- ture." Cohn said, "I actually trademarked that line." He had the line included on custom-made decals to promote Bioheat. He trademarked it to keep it away from the natural gas industry, Cohn said. But that doesn't mean he won't, in the best interests of the fuel oil industry, share it: "I am happy to share it with anyone in the industry," Cohn said. "If anyone is interested in using our custom made Bioheat fuel decals for their trucks, vans or boiler labels, they should contact us at CohlerFuelOil@ aol.com." Cohn also calls Bioheat "a great stepping stone into the future," but said the fuel does not get "the respect it deserves in the industry." He said Bioheat "has proved itself to me to be absolutely incredible, and I am a skeptic when it comes to new things." What convinced him? "We're opening up boilers that haven't been brushed and cleaned in two years and they're virtually spotless," he said. "It's something we've never seen." Burners have to be adjusted and maintained properly, Cohn specifies, but "when they are it's just amazing. There's a major difference. I've never seen combustion like this, ever." Cohn's experience with the fuel goes back three or four years, starting with B2, meaning that two percent of the fuel was renewable, and the balance was 15 ppm ultra-low sulfur fuel; now he is dealing B5, he said. Cohler Fuel Oil buys its B5 from Bayside Fuel Oil Corp., Brooklyn, N.Y., which in turn is supplied by biofuel producer Renewable Energy Group (REG), headquartered in Ames, Iowa. "Once it was proven to me how good the Bioheat fuel product is, I actually delivered it to our customers for two years before I even mentioned it to them," Cohn said. "We had some minor issues," Cohn said. "And I do say, 'minor,'" he empha- sizes. "For whatever reason there were some seal leaks— all minor. No dangerous ones. "We had some filter cans leak," he adds. On that point, Cohn offers advice: "Check the integrity of those filter cans 30 NOVEMBER 2015 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS Renewal The third-generation owner of Cohler Fuel Oil looks to Bioheat to help his business and the fuel oil industry as a whole BY STEPHEN BENNETT Outside the office of Cohler Fuel Oil Co. in Brooklyn, N.Y, (left to right): Ben Cohn, representing the fourth generation in the family-owned business; Allan Cohn, president and Ben's father; Daniel Falcone, northeast sales wholesale manager for Renewable Energy Group (REG); and Steve Calvaruso, Cohler Fuel Oil's lead technician. The Bioheat decal on the truck was specially ordered by Allan Cohn for his company's fuel oil trucks. Cohn invites dealers interested in using the decals on their trucks to contact him at CohlerFuelOil@aol.com for information. Left to right: Allan Cohn, president of Cohler Fuel Oil; Robert Mairowitz, Cohler's lead delivery driver; and Daniel Falcone of Renewable Energy Group (REG). Abe Cohn Larry Cohn