Women In Propane: Blackburn Propane Increases Sales in New and Exciting Ways

Paula Blackburn Moore, owner of Blackburn Propane Services in Calera, Okla. has been involved in the propane industry her whole life — but that doesn’t mean she’s stuck in old ways. On the contrary. Paula has a passion for exploring new markets, including agriculture applications such as hydroponic farming, and she calls the autogas market her ‘favorite.’

“A new greenhouse is being built in our area and we are working closely with them, as well as the PERC team, to determine what industry incentives and research might make this hydroponic farming venture more profitable and effective for our customer,” Paula said. “I’m excited to be a part of something that’s leading agriculture and farming into the 21st century. It is a fascinating new technology which will bring more efficiency and greater economic value to the process.” 

Hydroponic farming is a state-of-the-art technique for producing food in a controlled, soilless environment and involves growing plants in a nutrient-rich liquid growth medium. This is a growing area of commercial food production, and one that is perfect for propane in agriculture regions. Propane’s role in this process is to heat water and keep it at a certain temperature. “This sort of technology falls under the Propane Farm Incentive Program that PERC offers, and is eligible for co-funding. PERC offers up to $2000 in incentives for high-efficiency water heating systems. What customer wouldn’t be excited about something like that?” Paula asks.

Paula’s interest in growing propane markets also includes some tried and true favorites that she believes are the answer to leveling out seasonal load and decreasing our dependency on icy winter temps to be profitable.

“My favorite market is autogas,” she enthuses. “Our newest bobtail runs on propane and any future truck purchases will definitely have propane engines. Our drivers love our new bobtail. It runs like a dream, is highly efficient, and is fueled by homegrown propane! How can we expect to convince fleet managers to convert to propane if we aren’t using it ourselves? To me that is simply ludicrous. I believe the use of autogas is going to be the biggest promotion our industry has ever experienced. These will be year-round gallons which will alleviate some of the dependence on cold weather that we retailers face today. We cannot overlook this market. Those who do are making a mistake.”

As far as her understanding of the autogas market, well…her first car ran on propane. “My first car was a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a propane tank in the trunk! I just loved that car. My sister’s cars also ran on propane but Daddy only taught one daughter to fill those tanks — and that was me at age 16,” she laughs.

Her company was founded in 1960 by her father, Kenneth Blackburn, with just one bobtail. “We now run five bobtails full-time and have three bulk plants,” she comments. “I’ve been a part of the propane business my entire life, even during my 20-year teaching career. I have worked full-time in the industry since 2004 and took over the company completely in 2012 when my Dad passed away. 

About that time I went to Austin to test for a ‘Cat E’ to explore expanding our business into Texas. (The Cat E, also known as the LP-Gas Category E Management Course, is required in order to obtain certification in Texas. It is an 80-hour program of classroom instruction, demonstrations, and hands-on training for prospective LP-gas license holders organized by the Railroad Commission of Texas.) We now have one bobtail in the North Texas area and our markets are expanding. In 2015 we bought out another local company and I’m proud to say we are growing daily. In the fall of 2016 we moved into our new offices in Calera.”

Paula is the eldest of three Blackburn girls and the only one involved in the propane business. Along with her two sons, Dustin and Darron, she has turned Blackburn into a business she is very proud of — and one to watch as they focus on growing new markets. She has been married to her husband Scott Moore for 43 years, and he is part of the family business as well. It truly is a family affair!

“One of the best things my son Darron and I have done recently is to join NPGA’S Benchmarking Council. We learned so much from fellow marketers in just our first meeting. It really is an amazing concept — one in which you can bounce ideas and issues off of propane marketers in different areas of the country to stay up-to-date on best practices in safety, training, management, and so much more,” Paula says. “It already seems like an industry support team.” 

Paula is also the proud ‘FiFi’ to four grandsons and one granddaughter and stays busy chasing them around to ballgames and rodeos. When’s she not trailblazing in the propane industry, she loves to travel (taking photos of propane fueling stations in other countries), read, and really just enjoys ‘sitting on the porch.’ 

We say, “Well-deserved, Paula! Well deserved.”