Smith Dairy Deploys Ariel Compressors in Initiative to Bring Compressed Natural Gas to Ohio

ORRVILLE, Ohio, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith Dairy Transportation employees, local dignitaries, Ohio State Fire Marshal employees and other interested parties gathered in Orrville on Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking of Ohio's largest privately-funded, publicly accessible compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.

Located at 444 Hostetler Road in Orrville, Ohio, the $1.5 million canopied station will feature a convenient credit card payment option along with two dispensers for public and private access.

The station is expected to be completed by July 2012 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony occurring towards the end of the year. Once open, the station will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Smith Dairy CNG station will serve as a component and catalyst in the development of Ohio's comprehensive energy policy, and it should be noted that Smith Dairy kept some of the station's investment in its home state by choosing Mount Vernon, Ohio based Ariel Corporation to supply the natural gas compressors. These compressors will be the heart of the station, compressing pipeline natural gas into CNG before it's dispensed to natural gas vehicles.

"Smith Dairy chose Ariel because they are an Ohio Company. Ariel builds a very reliable product and has a similar, family-based background - much like Smith," stated Chuck Diehl, Fleet Manager of Smith Dairy.

By constructing the facility, Smith Dairy will not only save on its own fuel costs, but it also will provide a local station for other Orrville businesses to utilize the approximately $2.00 per gallon savings over gasoline or diesel in their own vehicle fleet.

"Thanks to Governor Kasich, Ohio for the first time has a comprehensive energy policy – and CNG as a transportation fuel is an important component. I am very pleased to see this privately funded station being built in Ohio using Ariel's own Ohio-made compressors. I applaud Smith Dairy's efforts," said Todd A. Snitchler, Chairman, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

According to CNGnow.com, CNG is a readily available alternative to gasoline, made by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of its volume. The interest in CNG in America has grown in recent years, thanks to the abundance of natural gas available on American soil due to advancements in natural gas extraction. This abundance gives CNG a low price tag when compared to gasoline or diesel. 

About Ariel:

Ariel Corporation is a World Class, American manufacturer of reciprocating compression solutions. Founded in 1966 in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Ariel compressors are operated worldwide by the gas, oil, petrochemical and process industries. Ariel is recognized today as the world standard in gas compression and is shaping the future of the global compression industry by addressing emerging energy and environmental challenges.

http://www.arielcorp.com

SOURCE Ariel Corporation