In many fuel delivery, heating oil, and propane companies, the owner still carries the relationships, decisions, and operating judgment that keep the business moving. Key managers in fuel business succession can help shift that weight into a leadership team that protects service continuity, supports growth, and gives family, employees, [...]
You’ve built a successful propane business—serving loyal customers, navigating supply disruptions, and managing trucks, tanks, and people. But now you’re wondering: what’s next? Should you sell and walk away? Transition to a family member or key employee? Stay involved in some way? The good news: there’s more than one right answer. And your exit [...]
Does your successor really need to work 80 hours a week to earn your respect? One of the biggest risks to keeping family-owned energy businesses strong is losing the interest of younger generations. Younger leaders may feel left out of important decision-making or stuck in roles that don’t match their abilities. [...]
If you're in propane, you already know how the tariff impact on propane dealers goes beyond supply chain disruption — it shakes the foundation of daily operations, team morale, and long-term planning. When parts, equipment, or fuel become more expensive or harder to source, the ripple effects hit fast. Drivers, techs, dispatchers, and admin [...]
Dividing a propane business among children can feel like a family decision first. In reality, it is a leadership, ownership, cash flow, and continuity decision. When one child works in the company and others do not, equal shares can create conflict. The pressure falls on the child keeping routes, [...]
Did you know that steel tariffs have driven propane tank prices up by as much as 25%? According to Alliance Truck & Tank, the 25% tariff on imported steel led to propane tank price increases between 20% and 25%. For propane dealers across the U.S., the impact of global trade policies is no longer [...]
What Makes a Propane Customer Stay Loyal? It’s a question every propane dealer asks: How do we keep customers loyal and prevent them from switching to the competition? Sure, price and reliability matter, but they’re not the biggest factors in customer retention. The real reason customers stay—or leave—often comes down to how they feel [...]
Thinking about bringing a relative into your propane business? Hold that thought. A well-planned family hire can strengthen your company, but a poor decision can put everything you've built at risk. It may surprise you that internal conflicts from poorly managed family hires contribute to nearly 60% of family business failures. But this isn’t [...]
When it comes to your energy business, your entrepreneurial drive is the foundation of your success. But here’s the thing—are you truly doing everything you can to ensure your business thrives for generations? Are you making sure you are staying truly competitive as an energy industry leader by implementing the right strategies in place? [...]
In the fuel industry, succession planning is often misunderstood as an expensive, time-consuming task that can be put off for the future. But for proactive leaders, it’s a powerful growth strategy—one that allows you to stay in control of your business’s future, while positioning yourself to achieve your goals for business growth, family harmony, [...]
