Meet Dustin Kulhman of Ferrellgas

Describe your current role at your company. 

As part of Ferrell North America, the supply and logistics arm of Ferrellgas, I oversee the propane supply chain and transportation departments. We manage the propane inventories for both Ferrellgas and Blue Rhino. We determine the propane needs for each business line, coordinate the supply and line up trucking capacity to meet those needs. It’s a key part of our company. Our purpose is to ensure both Blue Rhino and Ferrellgas have the propane they need to run each side of the business. 

How did you get your start in the propane industry? 

Right after college, I accepted a position as an area product coordinator with Ferrellgas. This is our version of a dispatch and logistics type position. I loved the planning and problem-solving aspects of the role and have stayed within the logistics and supply chain groups at Ferrellgas ever since. 

What do you think would surprise someone about the job you do? 

I think people would be surprised by how efficient our team is when you consider we purchase approximately 800,000,000 gallons of propane each year and deliver it to more than 700 locations throughout the country. Another surprising thing about our team is that we have just two buyers — Jonathan Wasson and Ryan Avila — who purchase all the propane gallons Ferrellgas delivers. In addition, our transportation manager, Tom Peters, and his team are responsible for coordinating our trucks to make it all happen. Without their focus on service, teamwork and professionalism, we wouldn’t be able to bring convenient, reliable and affordable propane to our customers. 

What advice do you have for someone coming into the industry? 

We are very fortunate in our department that we hire many people who are new to the propane industry. One of the first things we always teach is to be professional in everything you do. By this, we mean acting with integrity, individual responsibility and being conscientious. If you act professionally, you are going to be treated as such, and you’ll be building the foundation of your reputation which is the best thing you can carry with you regardless of role, company or industry. 

Who has/have been the strongest influences in your career to date? 

Current Ferrellgas president and CEO Tamria Zertuche. I was fortunate enough to report to her for a couple years before she became our CEO. She’s an educator by nature and champions a people-first environment. I really aligned with her philosophy of continuous education. If you have the right people in the right positions and manage them well — and empower them to embrace change and continue to learn — results tend to be successful on the operations side. I have a passion for teaching and coaching. Tamria was one of the first people at Ferrellgas to recognize that ability and pushed me to step out of the day-to-day operational focus and shift my vision to long-term department and people development. 

If you could change something in the industry, what would you change? 

We are still a very manual industry when it comes to supply chain and logistics. We, as an industry, need to continue pushing for and adopting technological advancements in areas like inventory management, logistics planning and supply chain integration. Success in these areas will greatly improve the efficient flow of propane. 

What or who motivates you? 

Definitely my family. My amazing wife, Trisha, and I have four incredible children. I was taught early on that if I was going to do something, it had to be done right the first time. I try to set an example for my kids that hard work, dedication and character are the things they can control in life. 

What’s your favorite part of the workday? 

The unknown. As cliché as that sounds, there’s a level of excitement with waking up in the morning and not knowing what challenges or opportunities will arise that day. It’s very rewarding to see all the puzzle pieces come together each day to ensure the propane continues to move. 

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance while pursuing your goals and ambitions within the demanding and dynamic environment of the propane business? 

I have always felt this comes down to mindset. If you allow the 2:00 a.m. phone call from a driver or weekend supply meetings during winter to cause frustration, it’s going to be challenging to achieve long-term success. While propane life can be demanding, I firmly believe the positives of a long and rewarding career far outweigh the sacrifices we all make along the way. 

What’s your most-used productivity hack? 

I would say trying to be more intentional with my calendar. The concept that your time is valuable absolutely has a different impact today than it did before having kids or earlier in my career. Being mindful and strategic about every portion of the day and ensuring that if something is important enough to dedicate uninterrupted time to, it must be intentionally planned.