We might quietly scoff at the Toyota (NYSE: TM) Prius drivers - after all, the car only gets slightly better mileage than the average car in its class, so it's not all that special as far as environmentalism goes.

But don't scoff too hard, because it just might be that we'll all be driving hybrid cars in the not-so distant future.

You might be thinking that we simply don't have a model of fuel-source change for automobiles - so we really don't know what the future will hold - and whether our cars will be powered by natural gas, lithium-ion, or even solar power - or perhaps some combination.

And you're right - there's basically no model for automobile fuel conversion.

But there is a very robust model for home heating conversion.

Today there are at least as many heating technologies as there are fuel types, but 100 years ago, most people used coal and wood.

Sizeable insider buying by a smart money hedge fund and a beaten-down stock price make Patrick Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:PATK) a small-cap play worth putting on the radar.

Billionaire investor Jeffrey Gendell has made his fortune patiently making big bets in sectors when they are out of favor. As part of this strategy, his Tontine Capital hedge fund selectively invests in the private placements of small-cap companies. Tontine-led private placement homeruns in recent years have included Broadwind Energy, Inc. (OTCBB:BWEN), MISCOR Group Ltd. (OTCBB:MIGL), Exide Technologies (Nasdaq:XIDE) and Matrix Service Co. (Nasdaq:MTRX). Given this record, Tontine’s recent increased bet on Patrick Industries, a manufacturer of component products and a distributor of building products serving the recreational vehicle (RV), manufactured housing and industrial markets, caught my eye.

Near the end of June, Patrick completed a previously announced Tontine-led rights offering and standby purchase agreement at a price of $7 a share. In total, the rights offering and standby purchase agreement raised gross proceeds of nearly $13 million. Since the start of 2008, Tontine has now pumped nearly $20 million in cash into Patrick, boosting its stake in the $67 million market capitalization company to 57%. This continued vote of confidence by Tontine in Patrick comes in the face of the company’s stock having been walloped over the past year. At Monday’s closing price of $7.30, Patrick shares have tumbled over 50% from the $17 they fetched last July.

In May 2007, Elkhart, Ind.-based Patrick acquired rival Adorn, a manufacturer and supplier of interior components to the RV and manufactured housing industries, for nearly $79 million in cash. This acquisition virtually doubled Patrick’s manufacturing sales volume and significantly increased its market share. Since closing the Adorn deal, Patrick has focused on consolidating overlapping facilities to boost capacity utilization and improve operating efficiencies. This integration activity has come at a dicey time for Patrick with the housing industry in a downturn and RV sales suffering . . .

SmallCapInvestor.com reporter Jennifer Schonberger is reporting from the 20th Roth Capital Partners Annual OC Growth Stock Conference this week in Dana Point, Calif. The conference features presentations from more than 300 small-cap companies.

Although Harbin Electric, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRBN) has been capitalizing on the industrialization of China with the help of its linear motor segment, its automobile segment is what will propel growth going forward, said Christy Shue, executive VP of finance and investor relations for Harbin, in an exclusive interview at the 20th annual Roth OC Growth Stock Conference this week in Dana Point, Calif.

The company has several new products in development, including a specialty micro motor used for automobile back-seat folding.

Typically, car seats need 15 to 20 electric motors to move the seats. In 2006, China made 6 to 7 million cars and 2008 promises to exceed that amount, said Shue.

“The market is new,” Shue said. “As automation has grown considerably since five years ago, many low-end cars are converting to automation and cars need motors to make things automated.”

Harbin entered the specialty micro-motors space for automobile interior applications when it acquired Taifu Auto Electric in July 2007. The company’s third quarter was the first quarter for which the acquisition was accretive to revenue, which comprised 27% of third-quarter sales.

According to Shue, Harbin is the only company of its kind that manufactures this type of motor.

“Proprietary technology is what enables us a competitive advantage,” she said. “There are currently no competitors for the products we offer.”

Shares of Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. (Nasdaq: OBCI) soared 81% or $1.40 to $3.13 after the manufacturer of maintenance and care products for boats, recreational vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft  reported Tuesday that net sales for the second quarter increased 32% over the second quarter of 2006.

For the three months ended June 30, 2007, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company recorded a 32% increase in net sales to $5.72 million, compared with $4.33 million for the second quarter of 2006.

Ocean Bio-Chem increased sales in both its marine and auto care product lines, while increasing distribution of its auto care products. The company said that sales for the second quarter were favorably affected by improved boating weather regionally.

"The company remains focused on building brand recognition of our StarTron brand with continued advertising in both print and TV media," said Ocean Bio-Chem President and CEO Peter Dornau.

Ocean Bio-Chem expects to release its second quarter earnings report in the coming weeks and will comment further at that time on the company’s financial performance.

Shares of Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. (Nasdaq: OBCI) soared 81% or $1.40 to $3.13 after the manufacturer of maintenance and care products for boats, recreational vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft  reported Tuesday that net sales for the second quarter increased 32% over the second quarter of 2006.

For the three months ended June 30, 2007, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., company recorded a 32% increase in net sales to $5.72 million, compared with $4.33 million for the second quarter of 2006.

Ocean Bio-Chem increased sales in both its marine and auto care product lines, while increasing distribution of its auto care products. The company said that sales for the second quarter were favorably affected by improved boating weather regionally.

"The company remains focused on building brand recognition of our StarTron brand with continued advertising in both print and TV media," said Ocean Bio-Chem President and CEO Peter Dornau.

Ocean Bio-Chem expects to release its second quarter earnings report in the coming weeks and will comment further at that time on the company’s financial performance.