Thompson Pushes Propane Gallon Growth During Travels As New NPGA Chairman

(August 26, 2019) Randy Thompson is more than just a third-generation propane industry member—he’s a Marine who served in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, a winemaker, and an accomplished musician, just to name a few. And now, as chairman of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Thompson, a senior advsior to

, the company his grandfather and father grew, is setting big goals for the industry that start with something simple: leaving no doubt that propane is the cleanest alternative fuel in the world.

BPN caught up with Thompson prior to his presentation at the Mid-States Propane Expo and Trade Show in Olathe, Kan. in mid-June, where marketers from Kansas, Missouri, and a few surrounding states were gathered for a week of activities, presentations, and a trade show. This was one of Thompson’s first of many presentations to state and regional associations after being sworn in as NPGA’s chairman on June 3, 2019.

“We’ve set a stretch goal of adding 4 billion propane gallons to annual sales in the United States within five years,” Thompson told BPN. “Let’s start by getting back to where we were when the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) started. Let’s leave no doubt and make clear we have the cleanest, greenest fuel known to man and we have way more than we currently need being produced right here in the U.S.”

Thompson points to the many inroads being made with PERC’s leadership in the areas of propane school buses, propane lawn mowers, and many applications for propane. “Success will be measured by gallons gained,” Thompson said. “Propane marketers need to be well-versed on the benefits of our clean, green energy source. We have work to do in the face of the ‘electrify everything’ movement and the Green New Deal, which proposes radical carbon cuts that are not compatible with reality.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, approximately 25% of homes in the U.S. run solely on electricity, and the highest proportion of electric-only homes is in the south, with 44%. “There is plenty to do to expand our market share,” Thompson added. He said legislators and regulators will be called out if they make it clear they are not treating propane fairly. “It is no secret that money carries influence in politics, but we will speak out where we see politicians putting their thumb on the scale to benefit one energy over another. We will not be afraid to take on opponents. I have no doubt we can lead our industry to prosperous growth over the next 10 to 20 years and beyond.”

Thompson said he sees huge gallon growth opportunities in year-round propane consumers, including prime power generation at homes, businesses, and military bases across the nation, as well as expanding the autogas and water heater markets.

“All of these applications are year-round users of our product,” Thompson said. “We don’t have a supply problem, we have a demand problem. We have got to work to level the annual demand profile for propane in U.S.”

Thompson points to joining the U.S. Marine Corps as his best life decision. “This is where I learned a lot about leadership and the importance of putting the right people in the right place,” he explained. “I really learned some good traits there about motivating people and leading them to great success.”

ThompsonGas, the business his grandfather and father led, began as a single location business with eight employees but has grown to a multi-state operation with 123 locations, 670 employees, and more than 100 million annualized gallons. Thompson joined the company in 1987 while he was earning a degree at Shepherd University. He became vice president at ThompsonGas in 1992, focusing on marketing and logistical improvements in the company, and was named president and CEO in 1998.

“We built ThompsonGas mostly through acquisition and several step-outs. It involved developing trust with sellers who believed in what we were doing,” he said. “In many cases, especially in the earlier days, we started investing in companies where the seller stayed invested and involved in their company for five to 10 more years in the long-term acquisition process.”

With more than 40 acquisitions in the growth process, ThompsonGas is currently engaged in three more acquisitions that should close by the end of 2019.

Aside from his love of the propane industry, Thompson’s winery business started with the planting of 35 acres of grapes on his family farm in southern Washington County, Md. It now features a 10,000-sq-ft winery and tasting venue, and the winery has been favorably compared to those in Napa. “The winery allows me to do what I love the most, meet with people and engage with them; many are propane customers. Whether it is wine or propane our industry is all about relationships.”

Thompson became involved with NPGA 18 years ago. In addition to serving a term as NPGA’s governmental affairs committee chairman, he has served for 10 years on NPGA’s executive committee.

“This year, one of NPGA’s biggest challenges and opportunities is to select a new CEO for the first time in 18 years,” Thompson said. “Putting the right person in the chair is a top priority. It truly is the greatest responsibility any board of directors has to fulfill. In addition, transitioning the CETP program from NPGA to PERC will take tremendous energy and focus.”

Thompson is excited to visit one-on-one with the people of the industry through the next year. “I’m fortunate that I am able to get out of the office and travel this year,” he said. “I am very much looking forward to meeting more people in the industry and sharing our message of how together we can grow sales of our clean, green fuel. Everyone has a role to play in expanding usage of propane.” — Pat Thornton