(FLORIDA, N.Y.) — Twenty-seven years ago Ken Koeller and his son-in-law Pete Guerci founded their family-owned business, Yankee Propane, while working out of a construction trailer. From its humble beginnings the company grew to an organization, now headquartered in Florida, New York, with additional bulk propane distribution centers in Teterboro and Hardyston, New Jersey. And Yankee Propane now serves almost 200 communities in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. On Friday, June 10, 2016, state, county and local officials, other dignitaries, business associates and friends joined Yankee Propane owners Ken and Nancy Koeller, Company President David Stroupe and members of Yankee Propane staff to celebrate the grand opening of its new state-of-the art building at 19 Industrial Drive in the Village of Florida. After Stroupe…

The out-of-gas call came late one night in 1966, but Proctor Gas (Proctor, Vt.) owner Match Taranovich was out of the office and away from home. His wife, Ella, wanted to respond to the urgent call, but she didn’t know how to drive the company service truckwith a manual transmission. However, Match and Ella’s 14-year-old son, Jimmy, who was experienced in some repair and maintenance work from helping his father on service calls, thought he knew how to drive the stick shift from watching him. So Ella and her young son drove the service truck to the residence, with Ella in the driver’s seat while Jimmy operated the stick from the passenger seat. “She drove, he shifted, he took care of the out-of-gas call, and…

UP Fuels, a service-oriented company that serves customers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has merged with Chicago, Illinois-based, Energy Distribution Partners (“EDP”). Based in Rudyard, Michigan, UP Fuels is a key fuel supplier to the Mackinac Island ferries. Energy Distribution Partners is focused on growing its business in the propane and midstream industry. EDP’s strategy is to acquire successful operations, retain the brand name, preserve local management and delegate to those in
 the local community. This is the fourth transaction for EDP since January 1, 2016. Energy Distribution Partners is a company with extensive 
experience in retail and commercial propane sales, operations and finance. The company provides safe, reliable propane service to residential and commercial customers in California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York….

For several years, the propane industry has been locked in a fight against natural gas expansion into rural propane territory, and the state of Michigan is a prime example. More than 80% of the homes in the state are already piped for natural gas, but Michigan Propane Gas Association executive director Derek Dalling says that 80% is not enough for the natural gas industry there. “They need and want to have the rest,” Dalling stated in a presentation at the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention in April. “In testimony, [the natural gas industry] said they represent four out of five people in the state, and they want the fifth one. That is their aim, to put you all out of business.” The Southeastern…

When his residential clients are unsure about using propane appliances in their new homes because they are unfamiliar with propane or are concerned about safety, builder Ron Scarpa has a unique way of putting their minds at ease. Scarpa, president of Barefoot Brothers Construction (Winter Park, Fla.), takes his clients to his personal home, which includes many propane appliances. The home has Rinnai propane tankless water heaters, a six-burner commercial-style GE Monogram propane range in the kitchen, a propane fireplace, and a propane clothes dryer. Working with Sams Gas (Orlando, Fla.), he converted an old sugar kettle into a propane fire pit. Scarpa grew up around his family’s restaurant business, and he has also built several restaurants, so he is an advocate of gas cooking….

COLUMBIA, Mo. (June 8, 2015) – MFA Oil Company, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Columbia, Mo., announced it raised $165,000 to support Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization that provides emergency and other financial assistance to thousands of military troops and their families. The money was raised through the company’s second Annual Charity Golf Scramble & Concert, which was held June 6 at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia. The tournament attracted 200 golfers and included prize money and awards for tournament winners. In addition to golf, participants and guests were treated to dinner and a private concert featuring country music singer-songwriter Sara Evans. “We’re proud to support Operation Homefront in their efforts to assist the military families and wounded warriors who protect our…

The Michigan Propane Gas Association (MPGA) just learned of a nationwide roadside truck inspection effort being conducted by the US Department of Transportation. All marketers should be advised and prepared for a major enforcement blitz from today, June 7th through Thursday, June 9th as a nationwide roadside commercial motor vehicle inspection sweep is scheduled to take place. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), a group of federal, state and local transportation enforcement agencies, is preparing to put 10,000 inspectors at 1,500 sites nationwide to conduct approximately 75,000 roadside inspections on June 7-9, 2016. The CVSA "RoadCheck" inspection sweep is an annual event designed to highlight common violations of state and federal motor carrier and HAZMAT transportation regulations. The goal of the RoadCheck program is to…