We are thrilled to have Redmark on as one of our members at Denver Metro Clean Cities!
Redmark is the #1 provider of advanced fuel vehicles, fueling and charging station services, and specialty services in the Rocky Mountain Region. They have supported thousands of natural gas, propane, and electric hybrid vehicles and dozens of fueling stations for hundreds of fleets since 1990. Now Redmark partners with top OEMs and technology providers to bring the highest quality advanced fuel vehicles to the entire US fleet market. They are a drop-ship for multiple OEMs, an authorized QVM and eQVM installer for Ford Motor Company, and they operate a national parts supply program. Redmark is also active in developing financial incentives and industry standards to ensure affordable, safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable products for their customers.
Kris Kielty founded Redmark in 2016 to be the leading service company in the advanced fuels industry. He began his career in 1990 with Natural Fuels (then an unregulated subsidiary of Xcel Energy) and quickly became one of the best vehicle and fueling station technicians – admired by OEM partners and customers alike. Kris continued in the advanced fuels industry for the next 30 years, working his way up until he left his position as VP of Operations at Ward Alternative Energy to start Redmark.
Along the way, Kris participated in committees to create and update industry codes and standards. He understands that safety is a critical element to any advanced fuels fleet program. Today he is President of Redmark, leading the company with over 30 years of advanced fuels industry experience.
We spoke with Kris about what Redmark has been working on and where they plan to go. Keep reading to hear about Redmark’s partnerships with technology providers, their involvement with Denver Metro Clean Cities and their big announcement!
Company: Redmark 
Location: Commerce City, CO
We hear you have a big announcement, can you share that with us?
Absolutely. I am pleased to announce Redmark is expanding our business to include electric hybrid upfits and services for electric vehicles and charging stations. We are doing this in partnership with two big industry players (and fellow Clean Cities members), XL Fleet and Chargepoint. Redmark serves fleets across Colorado and the U.S., and we want to provide our customers with the best, most cost-effective solutions to lower emissions. Electric hybrid vehicles are the natural next step for us.
The average consumer has lots of options if they want to buy an electric hybrid. Fleet managers, however, need vehicles that fit specific work requirements, whether that is delivery vans, heavy-duty trucks, garbage trucks, etc. There aren’t as many options for greener fleet vehicles – that’s where Redmark comes in. As a vehicle upfitter, we can install electric hybrid systems onto new vehicles from trusted manufacturers like Ford and GM. The customer gets a reliable, fully warrantied vehicle, and they can lower emissions and save on fuel costs.
We have been upfitting vehicles with natural gas and propane systems for many years with the Ford QVM program and other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Redmark has also received Ford Motor Company’s eQVM installer certificate. We are one of the first companies in the U.S. to receive both the QVM (Qualified Vehicle Modifier) and eQVM certificates. Under the QVM program, we install compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane (LPG) systems. For the eQVM program, we install hybrid electric drive systems onto popular Ford models that are not otherwise available as hybrids. For fleet customers, this means we install Ford QVM/eQVM upfits following robust quality, safety, and other standards – and these vehicles are also fully warrantied and serviced at Ford dealerships.
We partner with many of the top OEM dealerships in the Rocky Mountain Region and elsewhere, as well as fleet leasing companies, to deliver advanced fuel vehicles to customers. Fleet customers can also order their vehicles through their dealership of choice for Redmark to customize with accessories for each specific work application.
Photo: Redmark is one of the first companies to receive both Ford’s QVM and eQVM certificates for installers.
Have your company goals changed over the past few years? If so, how?
The advanced fuels industry is always evolving to keep up with environmental targets and new technology. I started working in this industry 30 years ago, when compressed natural gas fuel was new to the market, and electric vehicles were not viable yet. The marketplace has changed a lot since then, and Redmark is continually adapting to those changes – such as adding renewable natural gas and hybrid electric vehicles to our focus. The industry is still growing, and I see great possibilities for fleets adopting advanced fuels like CNG/RNG, LPG, and electric hybrids. Going forward, Redmark is establishing a national presence for many of our services, such as parts supply and upfits.
We are also building partnerships with leading technology providers, such as XL Fleet (a top developer of fleet vehicle electrification technology), ChargePoint (North America’s leading electric vehicle charging systems and network provider), and Onboard Dynamics (an innovative mobile/modular CNG/RNG fueling technology manufacturer). And we are forging relationships nationwide with key service providers such as ARI leasing, Element leasing, X3CNG, and others to bring our vehicle and support service solutions to their customers.
Although our services are expanding, our strategy has never changed – and that is always to put customer service first. New technology has challenges, and I have seen firsthand the hurdles fleet managers face when adopting advanced fuels. Since I founded Redmark, I have always focused on relationship building with fleet managers – we have their back through the entire process of purchasing and operating advanced fuel vehicles.
You have been a Clean Cities sponsor for a few years across the U.S., what are some of your favorite things that you have accomplished with them?
Colorado is a great place for advanced fuels with financial incentives and safety regulations. Part of our dedication to customer service is to make these fuels more accessible. Redmark has worked towards this by partnering with organizations like Clean Cities and others to pass tax credit legislation and government grant programs. We have also worked with Clean Cities in the past to host or support fleet education events that present information and demonstration vehicles to familiarize fleet managers with advanced fuel vehicles. Legislation and outreach are both important to encourage the adoption of cleaner fuels. We are glad to be part of this ecosystem along with Clean Cities.
Is there anything we haven’t touched on that you want to talk about?
Thanks for asking – I am glad to get a chance to discuss our expansion into hybrid electric vehicle upfits and services. I also want to emphasize that CNG/RNG and LPG vehicles are still a key part of Redmark’s business. I see all of these advanced fuel types bringing solutions to fleets, each with unique features and benefits. We have more offerings in development for later this year and beyond, so be sure to check back with us!
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