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Highlands Today

Price Check

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Diane Van DeWater with Hobby Hill Florist brings out flowers for delivery on Friday in downtown Sebring. The florist raised its delivery price last year.

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By Bill Rogers | Highlands Today

Published: November 25, 2007

SEBRING — Dan Feathers has raised prices at his dry cleaning business and so has florist Ladonna Paedae-Rodriguez. Kenny Long, president of Long's Air Conditioning Inc., might have to do the same thing.

Local businesses are feeling the impact of higher gas prices and are trying to find ways to keep costs down.

According to the American Automobile Association, motorists are paying about 90 cents a gallon more for gas now than they did last year.

Guy Caruso, chief of the Energy Department's statistical division, the Energy Information Administration, predicted recently that gasoline prices, now averaging $3.11 a gallon nationwide, will rise another 10 cents by December.

A jump of 15 cents a gallon from current levels, already well above last year's average of $2.23, also would surpass May's all-time record of $3.23 a gallon.

Gas prices traditionally fall in the winter months as demand ebbs from summer highs, but oil prices flirting with $100 a barrel and low fuel stockpiles have reversed that trend this year. Still, demand for gasoline over the four weeks ending Nov. 9 was 0.6 percent higher than a year earlier, averaging more than 9.3 million barrels a day, the Energy Department said last week.

Long is spending $20,000 a month in fuel costs for his fleet of about 40 trucks. He said he can remember when his monthly fuel bill was $5,000 for the same number of vehicles.

"We're trying to hold our prices as long as we can," said the Avon Park businessman. "But we have to make a profit.

"It is just hard to believe it can be happening," he added. "The economy is way down in Highlands County."

Long is taking a major step in becoming more efficient by replacing his vehicles with diesel trucks. Approximately half of his trucks are diesel. He expects his entire fleet to be diesel in a year or two.

Long added that his company is trying to do a better job of organizing service calls.

Feathers owns three dry cleaning stores in Highlands County – two in Sebring and one in Lake Placid – as well as one in Clewiston. A trip is made to Clewiston, located more than 50 miles from Sebring in eastern Hendry County – every day.

"We make sure we're efficient with our trucks," he said

Feathers said he has had to increase prices by 5 percent "to cover expenses."

He noted that suppliers are passing along higher costs for things such as garment covers and hangers.

"It's the trickle down effect," Feathers said.

Paedae-Rodriguez, owner of Hobby Hill Florist in Sebring, increased the delivery charge by 50 cents in 2006. She said she is always looking for good gas prices and is doing away with unnecessary things.

"We're trying to route our deliveries and wait to make several deliveries," she said. "You do what you have to do."

Erick Kelecseny bought Freedom Marine and RV West, located south of Lake Placid on U.S. 27, in July of this year.

In addition to sales, Kelecseny offers mobile marine service, dockside service and RV detailing .

Kelecseny said he has reduced his hourly rate from $75 to $55.

"Nobody wants to spend money how the economy is," he said.

Kelecseny believes the economy will turn around but not until after the election in 2008. He added that he thinks gas prices will increase.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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