Protanic began in 1972 with one purpose, to locate the source of petroleum leaks at service stations. With no known experience by anyone in this discipline, Protanic was the pioneer in this field. Lead by 2 engineers, William Purpora and Dave Beets, they began piecing together what is today a valued service in the petroleum industry. In the 1970’s there were no regulations or protocols governing tank and line leak detection. Mr. Purpora began a tireless campaign for proper leak detection methods and training while staying focused on Protanic’s original purpose. He helped all in the industry who were also focused on finding leaks, along with fathering many companies around the world. Mr. Purpora stayed true to the industry through 30 years of testing and training always looking for a more accurate way to confirm the presence of a leak. Mr. Purpora’s Air Force background trained him to continue until a solution was found and he understood that solution. Mr. Purpora while at Protanic developed an emergency response system that even today is second to none. William Purpora passed away on April 25th 2002 and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

After William Purpora’s passing, his son Stephen Purpora assumed the position as President of Protanic Inc. Steve began his field experience in 1972 and worked extensively in all areas of underground storage tank, line and leak detector testing as well as vapor recovery and cathodic protection inspections. His experience includes over 30 years of field testing and consulting for the petroleum testing industry. Mr. Stephen Purpora served on and provided technical information for multiple Petroleum Equipment Institute’s (PEI) committees on Recommended Practices. He also served as a consultant for the EPA.
Steve passed away suddenly in February 2019 and is greatly missed by all who knew him.

In June of 2021, Stenstrom Petroleum Services Group acquired Protanic and Purpora Engineering. Protanic will serve as Stenstrom Petroleum’s compliance division. Stenstrom Petroleum continues to be the market leader in service, repair, and construction of fueling systems throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. Its clients span industrial, commercial, and retail sectors, relying on Stenstrom’s 24-hour service, readily-available parts and preventative maintenance to keep clients’ operations running and profitable.