2017 LP Gas Rising Leader: Ofelio Martinez
Vitals: Age 37; vice president at Florida Propane Exchange and Certified Propane Gas Corp. in Miami
Years in the propane industry: 8
Please describe your role and responsibility, as well as your vision, in growing your company and connecting with propane customers of today: My current role is to make sure the gallons are growing consistently and all operations are running to their fullest capacities. I have a vision of creating new gallons for our industry though propane autogas.
Propane industry opportunities and threats: Propane autogas [as an opportunity] … The greatest threats are solar panels, electricity and natural gas.
How then can the propane industry prosper in the coming years? By coming together and joining groups like the United Propane AutoGas Solutions Group (UPAS Group). This group works closely with companies like ours to help promote propane autogas. This is the best way to grow new gallons as well as pollution control for a better environment for our future.
What does your generation offer to the propane industry that previous generations did not? When I first started working for the propane industry, it looked like we were still stuck in the 1970s’ time warp. We are more innovative and calculated risktakers today.
What technologies are you using (or plan to use) to support business operations? We have taken our company 80 percent paperless.