Primemax Energy and Otodata: A Partnership Fueling Operational Excellence

For more than three decades, Primemax Energy has built its reputation on four unwavering principles: safety, competitive pricing, exceptional service, and operational excellence. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Ayr, Ontario, Canada, the company has grown from a regional propane distributor into a diversified, full‑service propane and bulk liquid transportation leader. Today, Primemax serves residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial customers across Ontario with a commitment to operational excellence that has become its hallmark.

That commitment is also what brought Shane Steele, Retail Propane Business Manager, to the organization in 2025. With more than 16 years of experience in the energy sector — including leading one of the largest tank monitoring programs in North America — Steele arrived with a clear mission: strengthen Primemax’s delivery model, expand its automatic delivery segment, and leverage technology to elevate customer confidence.

And for Steele, one technology partner stood out immediately: Otodata.

Steele had already worked closely with Otodata during his previous role at a different company overseeing more than 300,000 monitors across Canada and the U.S. He had seen first-hand how Otodata’s hardware performed in extreme weather, and at massive scale. And how its software and support teams performed under pressure.

When he joined Primemax, he didn’t hesitate—he requested 240 monitors right away, with a plan to expand.

“It’s a true partnership, not a vendor transaction,” Steele says. “Otodata has always been responsive, knowledgeable, and proactive. Their values shine through from the top down.”

Today, Primemax has deployed more than 2,000 monitors, with more on the way. The impact has been immediate: better forecasting, fewer emergency deliveries, improved efficiency, and a measurable boost in customer confidence — especially during winter, when service failures can be costly.

For Steele, the combination of Otodata’s hardware reliability, app functionality, and customer service is a powerful engine for growth. “Monitors help all of us — our employees and our customers,” he says. “They make us smarter, more proactive, and more efficient.”

Below is our conversation with Steele, where he shares his perspective on Primemax’s evolution, the role of monitoring technology, and why Otodata remains a trusted partner. 

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OUR CONVERSATION WITH SHANE STEELE

Retail Propane Business Manager, Primemax Energy

Shane, you joined Primemax in 2025. What drew you to the company? 

Primemax has a strong reputation in the industry — family‑centric, customer‑focused, and committed to doing things the right way. I saw an opportunity to help expand the retail propane division and bring more structure, visibility, and efficiency to our delivery operations. I’m passionate about monitoring technology, and Primemax was ready to lean into that.

You’ve managed some of the largest tank monitoring programs in North America. How did that experience shape your approach here?  At my previous company, I worked with more than 125,000 monitors in Canada. I went through a lot of development cycles with Otodata, so I knew the technology inside and out. When I came to Primemax, I immediately saw opportunities to improve forecasting, reduce emergency deliveries, and strengthen customer confidence. That’s why I requested 240 monitors right away. We’ve since expanded to about 2,000.

What operational challenges were you looking to solve with monitoring? Winter service failures were a big one. We wanted to target high‑risk areas, improve delivery accuracy, and reduce long‑distance runs that weren’t efficient. Monitoring helps us prioritize accounts, plan better, and be more proactive — especially with “will call” customers. Instead of waiting for them to call us, we can reach out when we’re already in the area. It’s smarter for everyone.

How has monitoring changed the way Primemax operates? It’s helped us become more efficient and more customer‑focused. We’re seeing fewer emergency deliveries, fewer runouts, and better forecasting overall. It improves KPIs across the board. And it gives customers peace of mind — especially with the Nee-Vo mobile app, where they can see their tank levels in real time. The confidence level is higher than ever.

What stands out to you about Otodata’s technology? The hardware is consistent and reliable. It holds up in extreme weather, works well on underground tanks, and the battery performance is excellent. Connectivity is stable. The Nee-Vo portal is simple and intuitive — very easy for our team to use. And Otodata is always innovating. Their work on capacitive probes is another example of how they’re thinking ahead for the industry.

You’ve emphasized the importance of partnership. What makes the Otodata relationship unique? It truly is a partnership. They don’t hide from issues — they own them, fix them, and communicate openly. Their customer service team is phenomenal. Even when I was managing hundreds of thousands of monitors, the support was the same as it is today with 2,000. That says a lot. And Andre [Boulay], their president — I never hesitate to reach out. He’s extremely approachable. Their values align with ours.

How does this partnership support Primemax’s long‑term goals? We’re focused on operational excellence and customer confidence. Monitoring touches every part of that. It lowers costs, improves efficiency, and gives customers a worry‑free experience. As we grow our automatic delivery segment and expand into new areas, having a reliable partner like Otodata is essential. They’re invested in our success.

You’ve said you’re passionate about monitoring. Why does this technology matter so much to you? The propane industry hasn’t seen a major paradigm shift in a long time. Monitoring is that shift. It changes how we plan, how we deliver, how we serve customers. It helps our employees and our customers. And with partners like Otodata continuing to innovate, the future is exciting. There’s so much more we can do.

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Primemax Energy’s growth has always been rooted in strong values and smart operational decisions. With leaders like Shane Steele and partners like Otodata, the company is not only strengthening its delivery model — it’s shaping the future of customer‑focused propane and bulk liquid transportation in Ontario.