LP Gas Hall of Fame Inductee – Class of 2014
The California native has been called a pioneer and innovator in the propane transport industry, introducing a streamlined version of the single-barrel bobtail throughout the United States.
Launching propane delivery truck manufacturer JARCO in 1959, Jarvis designed the forerunner to the modern bobtail. He rid a traditional truck design patterned after the retail fuel oil industry of its extra steel to create a lighter, more efficient propane delivery vehicle, incorporating improved propane equipment technology. Today, Jarvis’ designs and concepts, which he was willing to share with the industry, are also found internationally.
In 2010, Polar Service Centers, a division of Polar Corp., acquired JARCO, expanding the business to 28 national locations. More than 5,000 JARCO trucks have been built since 1959.
Jarvis died in 2011 at the age of 86.