Saybr Contractors, Inc. of Puyallup, Washington is a general contractor specializing in removal and replacement of fuel systems, underground utilities, remediation, demolition, and complete site development. Services include the development of natural gas fuel facilities. Projects include the construction of the natural gas fuel station near SeaTac Airport for the Port of Seattle and Clean Energy Fuels Corporation.

Saybr Contractors Puts Environmental Conservation Ethic Into Action

With a core of leaders dedicated to environmental conservation and a strong history of fuel facility construction and environmental remediation, it seemed only natural for Saybr Contractors, Inc. to begin employing alternative fuels into its own fleet in the late 1990s. And their dedication to alternative fuels continues to grow, with an expanded alternative fuel vehicle fleet and construction of alternative fuel refueling stations in the Puget Sound region.

Saybr's first step in using alternative fuels was using biodiesel in an old diesel Chevrolet truck, which immediately showed the benefits of alternative fuel use. Converting to biodiesel did not require any modification of the vehicle and, with the installation of a biodiesel storage tank at their Puyallup facility, biodiesel became a fast and easy way to refuel. This first step brought Saybr into the community of alternative fuel supporters and they have been behind the movement ever since.

The construction company now has four alternative fuel vehicles: the original Chevrolet truck, another truck fueled by biodiesel, a bi-fuel (gasoline/natural gas) Chevrolet Cavalier, and the newest vehicle, a dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) Ford Crown Victoria. 

Karen Say, CEO and President of Saybr Contractors in Puyallup, is proud of the public image the natural gas fueled Crown Victoria portrays of her company.

The natural gas vehicles were unexpectedly less expensive than standard vehicles, and with Saybr’s recent hire of an alternative fuels maintenance technician, who specializes in natural gas, maintenance and repair of these vehicles has been negotiated in-house. In fact, it was the technician, Doug Eals, who convinced Karen Say, CEO and President of Saybr Contractors, to purchase the natural gas Crown Victoria. 

Karen first began looking for vehicles through the U.S. General Services Administration, which purchases vehicles for federal agencies and has regular auctions of used vehicles. But the vehicle was actually purchased over the Internet, from a small dealer in Kansas: Mark Cunningham of Cunningham Motors. Mark has shipped over a hundred natural gas vehicles to the West Coast, mostly to cities, counties, and other government agencies. The process was amazingly simple: Mark shipped the car to Karen, allowed her to test drive the car, and turned over the title once Karen made the decision to buy and sent him payment.

Karen has not regretted her decision one bit. The Saybr technician, Doug, installed a FuelMaker home refueling appliance at Karen's home, which made overnight refueling simple and cost effective. Natural gas costs Karen less than a dollar per gallon equivalent. 

Fueling at home - it's hard to beat the ease and convenience. "I can’t imagine a more convenient way to fulfill my commitment to environmental conservation," says the vehicles' owner, Karen Say.

The natural gas Crown Victoria has also dispelled all the myths Karen once held regarding natural gas vehicles. "I can travel over 200 miles a day without refueling, the car cost less than its petroleum equivalent, and the car’s cylinders are completely topped off every night."

And the publicity for Saybr and the viability of natural gas vehicles has been tremendous. "I am always being approached by people in parking lots curious to know whether the car is 'really' natural gas. When I say it is, they are then surprised to find out how convenient using an alternative fuel source can be."

Saybr is also doing their part to promote the Clean Cities Coalition by prominently displaying a Clean Cities window sticker. Saybr has been a member of the Coalition since 2002.

With the construction of more alterative fueling stations and increasingly improving technology, the use of alternative fuels such as natural gas and biodiesel is bound to become even more convenient. Saybr is proud to have been involved in the recent construction of the first large scale public natural gas fueling station in Washington: a Clean Energy Fuels station in SeaTac. 

"We look forward to becoming a leader in this growing market sector. But above all, we are excited to be putting our philosophies of environmental conservation into action!" says Say.