TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Rising gasoline and diesel prices are hitting local landscaping businesses hard, forcing owners to absorb higher fuel costs rather than pass them on to loyal customers.
Rodney Koeppen, owner of Buffalo Landscaping and Maintenance, tells 7 News fueling a fleet of six vehicles has become a significant financial burden with gasoline at $4.29 a gallon and diesel at $5.61.
"Gasoline has always been one of the larger, variable expenses, but now it's really taken over," Koeppen said.
I met Koeppen and his crew Monday on Danbury in the Town of Tonawanda.
Koeppen said the cost of filling up his vehicles has more than doubled compared to what his crews used to pay.
"It's hundreds. It's hundreds of dollars. It's hundreds of dollars and I get a text message whenever they fill up, and I just kind of look at it and sometimes just look away because what used to be, you know, 60 to $80 somewhere in that range, now everything's triple digits," Koeppen said.
The fuel costs don't stop at the vehicles. Crews also rely on gas-powered equipment throughout the workday.
"All of our equipment...the blowers.... the hedge trimmers -- everything is gas -- so everything is affected," Koeppen said. "Obviously, without our equipment and our vehicles – we’re out of business, so a major!"
The company has also delayed the purchase of new equipment as a result of the higher fuel prices.
WATCH: 'It's hundreds of dollars': Spiking gas prices putting squeeze on local landscaper
Koeppen said other landscaping business owners in the area are feeling the same strain.
"I know a lot of the other guys that I talk to are landscapers. We're all trying to get by and hoping that it's going to go away and get better," Koeppen said.
Despite the added costs, Koeppen said he has not passed the burden on to his customers, some of whom are locked into contracts signed two years ago when gas prices were lower.
"Some of the contracts we have, we signed up for two years ago, so gas prices were different. You know we haven't charged any type of surcharge to any of our customers like that," Koeppen said.
Koeppen noted long-standing customer relationships are a key reason he is holding off on price increases, though he acknowledged that may not be sustainable indefinitely.
"A lot of us have long-standing customers that we work with forever. So, you know, in a way that's great because they understand if we have to do an increase. But we also want to take care of those guys because they've been around and loyal to us for so long," Koeppen said.
For now, Koeppen said it is a balancing act he hopes ends soon.
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