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Feature Articles

In-depth feature stories examining the trends, challenges and innovations shaping the propane and LPG industry.

  • Chris Earhart Stresses Market Development and Industry Growth as NPGA Chairman

    By the age of 6, Chris Earhart had experienced the death of his mother and his only sibling, a younger brother who died shortly after birth. Their loss left his father with just one young son, who would literally grow up in the propane business. When his father passed away in 1991, Earhart had already worked in a full-time position with the company for 14 years, and had become president of Dixie Gas & Oil (Verona, Va.). In early June, after many years of serving in leadership roles in the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), he assumed the title of chairman for the 2018-2019 term. Shortly thereafter, Earhart delivered the first of many presentations he will give this year as chairman during the Mid-States Propane…
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  • Weaker Oil, Softer Propane Prices? World’s Largest Container Shipping Group Raising Prices

    Maersk Line, the world’s largest container shipping group, is raising prices due to increasing marine fuel costs, demonstrating how the surge in oil prices to their highest levels in four years is running through the global supply chain. Having a share of around 20% of seaborne freight, Maersk is a barometer of global trade, sending goods ranging from consumer electronics to food items worldwide. Prices for bunker, as marine propulsion fuel is known, have risen more than 20% since the beginning of this year, and in Europe have reached $440 per metric ton, the highest since 2014. The Danish company’s shares have fallen as higher fuel prices hurt its bottom line, with oil prices having climbed on the back of concerns that Iranian output could…
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  • Excellent Customer Service Starts With Listening, Marketers Say

    When a customer calls with a complaint or posts one online, the first things to do are accept that the complaint is legitimate, understand it from the customer’s viewpoint, and address it immediately. That’s one of the customer service practices shared with BPN by three propane marketers who in recent years have been selected as finalists for awards presented by their local Better Business Bureau (BBB). Each of these marketers is also a BBB-accredited business and has an A+ BBB rating. We asked representatives of these three propane marketers what their companies do to provide exceptional customer service. We asked what it is about their customer service that has earned them these ratings and honors, how they make sure the company and all employees remain…
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  • Second Generation’s First Priority: Keep Doing What Works

    As Kristy Richardson prepares to assume leadership as the CEO of the propane business founded by her parents, the second-generation business owner’s first priority is to continue the practices that made the company such a success in the first place. Steve and Shelly Brown founded the business, Western Propane Service, in Santa Maria, Calif., in 1988. They, along with their children, Kristy (Brown) Richardson and Mike Brown, who were respectively 11 and 8 years old at the time, had picked up and relocated from Gilroy, Calif. They had a business plan to start a locally owned and operated propane company with the philosophy of providing customers with fair prices and excellent customer service. In the beginning, Steve was setting tanks, delivering propane, and selling door…
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  • Third-Generation Business WelchGas Thrives, Seizes Opportunities

    Together with all the other responsibilities that come with operating a propane company, Wes Welch simultaneously maintained his commitment to the Army Reserve for 21 years. Today, the third-generation business owner and his wife and fellow veteran, April, continue to manage and operate WelchGas, the nearly 70-year-old company founded by his grandfather and later run by his father. “I got out of the Army in 1987,” says Wes Welch. “I moved back home and went to work for my dad. He started me out painting tanks, driving a bobtail, doing service work, setting tanks, piping houses, etc. About six months into it, I had serious thoughts about going back into the Army. “I decided to give another six months, then another six months. Thirty years…
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  • Paraco Gas Marks 50th Anniversary In Business

    This year marks the 50th anniversary for Paraco Gas, now based in Rye Brook, N.Y. The organization takes immense pride in having reached this significant milestone, crediting its success to its current and former employees, along with all its valued and long-standing customers. Pat Armentano founded the firm Patsems, a welding and industrial gas supplier, in Mount Vernon, N.Y. in 1968. The youngest of 10 children, he was known as generous, kind, and extremely personable. His success in business was in part due to his ability to connect with people and bring out the best from all of those who worked with him. Despite lacking a formal higher education, he was a natural and talented entrepreneur and continued to grow his company throughout the 1970s….
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  • 31st World LPG Forum Coming to Houston October 2018

    The 31st World LPG Forum, the premier annual global event for the LPG industry, returns to the U.S. this year. Houston will host the forum, which combines a conference and exhibition, Oct. 2-4, 2018 at the Hilton Americas. The event immediately follows the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Board of Directors meeting, which is also being held in Houston. Organized by the World LPG Association, the World LPG Forum travels the globe annually and features high-level session discussions with an international exhibition, as well as social events and networking opportunities. NPGA members can take advantage of a special discounted registration rate. For information, contact Kristen White at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it….
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  • Ruby’s Inn Resort — Rinnai’s Largest Commercial Propane Project

    Tankless water heater manufacturer Rinnai America Corp. and one of its dealers have completed Rinnai’s largest commercial project. And, most importantly, it is fueled by propane. The success of this project has led the customer to consider using Rinnai appliances in other applications, and has led other, similar businesses to add propane-fueled Rinnai appliances as well. How large was the project? It involves a 19-building resort and 179 Rinnai appliances. The resort, Ruby’s Inn, includes three hotels, 700 rooms, three restaurants, an RV park, a campground, three swimming pools, and a laundry facility that does 19 tons of laundry per day. Teams from Ruby’s Inn, Rinnai, and propane sales and service provider Blue Star Gas worked together to develop, install, and maintain a water heater…
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  • States Make the Case for Commonsense Legislation During Propane Days

    Since 2005, propane industry members have been participating in Propane Days around June each year. Built on the principle of awareness, the goal continues to be to elevate the stature of the industry so that propane is not just lumped in with a variety of other fuels. In the past, “fly-ins” were sometimes held to stop specific legislation that was considered damaging to the industry. The concept of Propane Days was to present a more proactive approach by staying in touch with legislators even when issues aren’t as pressing. “We really have a ‘1-2-3 Punch’ in opening lines of communication,” said Aaron DeWeese, executive director of the Illinois Propane Gas Association . “Propane Days is our high-profile event, but we also have NPGA staff in…
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  • Crestwood Expands Its Rose Hill, Davisville And Montgomery Rail Terminals To Ensure Winter Capacity

    Kansas City, MO (July 17, 2018) – The Kansas City, Missouri-based office of Crestwood Midstream’s Marketing Supply & Logistics (MSL) Group has completed expansions at its Rose Hill, North Carolina and Montgomery, New York rail terminals, and has upgrades underway at its Davisville, Rhode Island terminal. The Rose Hill terminal, which opened in early 2015, provides propane marketers across North Carolina with much-needed reliability. Crestwood has completed an expansion at Rose Hill and will soon offer 24/7 load times to optimize daily transportation. Crestwood’s Montgomery terminal, believed to be the largest propane terminal in the United States, opened in the summer of 2017 to serve marketers across the Northeast. The 20-acre facility – which is served by the Middletown and New Jersey railroads – can…
    Read More →: Crestwood Expands Its Rose Hill, Davisville And Montgomery Rail Terminals To Ensure Winter Capacity

  • NPGA Announces Distinguished Service Award, Welcomes New Director

    During the recent Propane Days gathering, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) recognized Ray Murray of Ray Murray Inc. (Lee, Mass.) with its highest honor, the NPGA Distinguished Service Award. Throughout his long career in the propane industry, Murray has been active with NPGA and his state association. In addition, he has chaired standing committees, task forces, and a membership section, as well as being a supporter of the Scholarship program and Women in Propane Business Council. Murray was recruited to serve as an officer of NPGA in 2009, and moved through the chairs to his election as chairman of the board. His time as chairman of the Executive Committee was highlighted by the planning and eventual launching of Vision 2014, now described as one…
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  • ThompsonGas Acquires ER Energy; Purchase Marks 3rd This Year

    ThompsonGas LLC (Frederick, Md.) has announced the acquisition of ER Energy Inc., a propane provider that has served Northern California for more than 30 years. ER Energy has operations in Nevada and Washington. Details regarding the transaction were not released. The purchase marks the third acquisition for ThompsonGas in 2018. “We’ve known Ken Foster and ER Energy for several years and have great respect for this team and their accomplishments,” said Jeff Kerns, ThompsonGas CEO. “Ken’s family-oriented approach to his business is a perfect complement to the same principles that drive Thompson- Gas’ daily business—trust and service. We intend to continue serving ER Energy’s customers in the same manner.” “My company, ER Energy, is a propane distributor with multiple locations across the Pacific Northwest,” added…
    Read More →: ThompsonGas Acquires ER Energy; Purchase Marks 3rd This Year

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