Christian Levac, President of Propane Levac

“Today, I’m proud to serve as president of Propane Levac, but I’ve never lost sight of where I came from,” said Christian Levac. “I believe the best leaders stay connected to the day-to-day realities of the business and continue listening to the people closest to the work.”

With a family-owned propane company, Christian believes he has the privilege of thinking in decades rather than quarters, allowing him to invest in projects that prepare the company for the future while remaining true to its mission: to offer comfort with exceptional customer service.

“Our vision is to become a benchmark in innovation and energy transition, and that vision influences every major investment we make,” Christian said. “I’ve always believed that if we don’t continue challenging ourselves and reinventing our business, someone else eventually will.”

Curiosity has always driven Christian, according to his Industry Innovators nomination. He has served in almost every possible role at the company his father started, and as president of the company now, that experience gives him a deep understanding of every part of the business.

“He wants to understand how everything works, how people are doing and why things are done a certain way,” the nomination stated. “One thing he does not accept is hearing, ‘We’ve always done it like that.’ He puts the right people in the right roles and gives them the space to succeed.”

One way he does this is by focusing on renewable energy. “Receiving Canada’s first railcar of renewable propane was an exciting milestone for our company and for the industry,” Christian said. “It demonstrated that renewable propane is no longer just a future concept. It’s a practical solution that can help reduce emissions while utilizing much of the infrastructure already in place. We’re also closely following the development of renewable DME and other emerging renewable fuels. While these markets are still developing, we believe they have tremendous potential to complement propane and provide customers with additional renewable energy options in the years ahead.”

“Re-Tank Expert is another project that reflects … innovation,” Christian added. “We built the facility to safely extend the life of propane cylinders and tanks through proper inspection, reconditioning and quality control. We’re now looking at ways to further modernize and automate parts of the operation to improve consistency, efficiency and throughput.”

Christian is also proud of the work done with LGP Energy on a rail terminal in Prescott. “That project strengthens regional supply infrastructure, improves storage and logistics flexibility, and helps position us for future renewable fuel opportunities as the market evolves.”

“I’d like to see our industry recognized not only for its strong safety culture and reliability, but also for its leadership in innovation and the energy transition,” Christian said. “I believe independent, family-owned companies have an important role to play because we can think beyond the next quarter and invest for the next generation. … If, over time, [Propane Levac is] recognized as a company that helped improve customer service, strengthened our industry’s infrastructure and contributed to a more sustainable energy future, I’ll be very proud of what our team has accomplished.”