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Propane industry veteran to retire after 48 years of service

March 26, 2018 By    

Ronald being interviewed during December 2017 for his philanthropy work. Photo courtesy of Crestwood.

Andy Ronald, vice president of supply & logistics development for Crestwood Services, is set to retire after 48 years of service in the propane industry.

“The industry is something that has meant a lot to me,” Ronald says. “It has been good to me.”

Ronald holds over half a century of energy industry experience, with the majority of that time spent in the propane sector, focusing specifically on retail operations and rail terminals. In 2002, when Ronald joined Inergy, he managed supply for all of the company’s retail propane operations. As Inergy retail operations expanded, the supply management needs were split into three regions. Ronald was tasked with heading the East market from July 2002 to August 2012, which is when the company sold its retail operations to Suburban Propane.

“I realized that to be a good supplier, you have to be a good buyer,” Ronald says. “I very quickly learned how to buy the propane and learned the distribution system.”

During the 10-year span Ronald headed the East market, he recalls advice from two propane industry professionals that said, “If you have a retailer that is out of propane, then you have got a lot of problems.” While heading that market for the company, Ronald says he never had a retailer run out of gas. A feat, he says, almost defies the laws of gravity.

Members of the Crestwood Supply & Logistics team point to Ronald at his last photo shoot before his retirement.

When Inergy merged with Crestwood in 2013, Ronald’s role focused more on supplying the company’s national accounts and spearheading business development efforts for Crestwood’s NGL rail terminals. Ronald was a key contributor in the development of Crestwood’s rail facilities in Peekskill, New York; Davisville, Rhode Island; and Rose Hill, North Carolina. Most recently, Ronald spearheaded the development of a rail terminal in Montgomery, New York, which opened in July 2017, making an impact on supply in the Northeast.

Additionally, Ronald served as chairman of the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) International Committee from 2009 to 2011, worked on the Finance Committee on the NPGA board of directors and chaired a committee to interact with the Government Surface Transportation Board. In 2014, in continuation of his NPGA work, Ronald presented the industry’s viewpoints on infrastructure needs relative to propane demand in the Northeast region of the United States at a hearing for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Quadrennial Energy Review.

As a philanthropist, Ronald established the Wallace R. Bostwick Memorial Fund, which has been supported by many of his friends in the propane industry across the country. Since its founding in 2009, the group has shipped over 6,000 gift packages at the holidays to U.S. soldiers serving in remote parts of the Middle East.

Despite being retired, Ronald plans to still be active in the propane industry with his own consulting company. Ronald says he will remain a member of the NPGA and will use his consulting company to review supply, capital projects and production for customers. Additionally, Ronald will spend more time with his wife and family in Florida.

“My goal for the next chapter in my life is to enjoy more time with my family,” Ronald says.

Photos courtesy of Crestwood.

 

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About the Author:

Joe McCarthy was an associate editor at LP Gas Magazine.

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