Rogers Bros. Galvanizing coat nuts, bolts and other steel hardware in zinc. It costs a pretty penny to simmer 450,000 pounds of liquid metal at a steady 850 degrees around the clock especially at today's prices.
Natural gas ranks as the company's third-largest annual expense, after labor and zinc.
While it's an extreme example, McKinnon's story illustrates how businesses, nonprofit groups, schools and churches are squirming under the pressure of rising heating costs, much the same as residential users. There's nothing you can do. McKinnon said he probably won't pursue an expansion of his Kishwaukee Street plant this year because of soaring fuel costs. Worse, the unexpected jump in natural-gas prices might force McKinnon to freeze workers' pay or reduce annual wage increases. Rogers Bros.' sales dropped 10 percent in December and 12 percent in January from a year ago, McKinnon said.