Women In Propane: Learning, Problem-Solving Leads to Successful Propane Career

In the winter, Erin Hodgkins, director of heating fuels at Sandri Energy in Greenfield, Mass., cozies up on the weekends with spreadsheets.

“For me, I’ll do spreadsheets for fun like some people do Sudokus. It’s relaxing. I have spreadsheets for everything,” Erin said. Her love of analytics combined with hard work is what helped launch her career in the propane industry more than two decades ago.

The daughter of a math teacher, Erin was set to be an accountant, but she was having so much fun as a nanny for two children while taking classes that she decided to continue working for the family as the kids grew. She worked at the mother’s law firm and then spent time with the kids after school. After a few years, realizing she needed a long-term plan such as a 401(k), Erin took a job in customer service at Rice Oil & Propane.

“I knew nothing about oil or propane. I just started getting more involved,” she said. “It [propane] was so interesting.”

While in customer service, her responsibilities included making deposits. “I started making spreadsheets tracking where the trucks were going. Then I started tracking the routes, where they had been. That’s how I got into delivery,” she said.

“I’m so into math. I love challenges and doing new things. I basically love to solve problems. I used to have bets with the person who was working with me on how many gallons of propane a tank would need [when it was being refilled]. I would always win.”

Her problem-solving skills did not go unnoticed. Erin worked her way up to systems manager, project manager, office manager, then to delivery manager where her duties included supervising, leading, and supporting retail distillates and propane drivers in multiple locations, verifying compliance with Department of Transportation, hours of service, and hazardous materials regulations. She also processed all payroll, coordinated all deliveries, evaluated truck driver performance, and conducted monthly driver meetings.

Erin left Rice in 2010 after it was purchased by Inergy Propane and she moved just a few doors down to a direct competitor, Sandri Energy. The fuel and energy distribution company provides diversified products, services, and solutions to home, retail, and commercial consumers, including those in the transportation industry. It is owned by the Sandri Cos., a third- generation, privately held holding company consisting of Sandri Energy, Sandri Real Estate, Sandri Transportation, and Fox Golf.

“Sandri is family-owned and very community focused,” Erin said, explaining some of the reasons she was attracted to the company. Although it is a large company with more than 7000 customers, she reports directly to the CEO, who is also one of the owners.

She now manages approximately 20 employees, is accountable for retail fuels sales and bids, as well as retail distillate and propane drivers. In addition, she is responsible for all marketing, strategic reports, budgets, and monthly financials and profit and loss statements. The part of the job she really loves, however, is overseeing efficiency and seeking ways to make improvements.

A lifelong learner, Erin is constantly learning more about the industry by taking training classes and obtaining certifications. She recently completed the Emergency Responder class, propane emergency response training offered in her region by the Propane Gas Association of New England that combines classroom instruction and hands-on training.

“I like to learn,” she said. “[Although] I have no intention of going out and installing anything, I just always feel like propane is up and coming. The more you know the better you are.”

In the propane industry, Erin said women are definitely outnumbered by their male counterparts, but she doesn’t see this as an obstacle or a challenge. “Everyone in propane seems so nice, so friendly and helpful. Everyone wants everyone to succeed.”

Working long days and nights is common for Erin, who said she is happy working and bringing work home, but she also is able to unwind. She gardens — her yard includes both flower and vegetable beds — and she spends time with her two dogs, Daisy and Lilly; her boyfriend, Chris; and her family. Her mother is currently living with her. Her father is deceased. Her sister and her family live about 15 minutes away.

“I’m big on vacation. When I go on vacation, I’m out. I’m a Disney fanatic. I usually go to Disney World or Las Vegas, and I also love cruises,” she said. Erin has taken her two nephews to Disney World since they were 2. She’s gone every year or every other year for the past 15 years. She’s also been on nine Caribbean cruises. Last summer she was in Las Vegas at the wedding of one of the children she nannied years ago.

What else does she do for fun? Spreadsheets, of course! —Karen Massman VanAsdale