2018 LP Gas Rising Leader: Frank Edwards
Essentials: Age 39; general manager at Linden’s Propane in Wellington, Ohio.
Years in the propane industry: 15
How did you get your start in the propane industry?
I began my propane career on the dock. I filled BBQ and forklift tanks during the weekends.
What is your vision for growing your company and how can you make that vision become a reality?
I believe others tend to focus on the external growth of numbers and customer gains, but we first start with our internal employee growth. We first grow each member of our team to achieve greater goals, then move to the customer base. We start with the current base and ensure they are still receiving a value for the cost of the service. Once those goals are achieved, we then move to the tanks that are not Linden’s. My vision of growth starts internally, then moves outward onto the customer.
How can the propane industry prosper in the coming years?
Propane is changing every day. We need to continue to keep pace with digital marketing, understand our upcoming customer base and continue to offer a product that has value. We can no longer ride the coattails of a clean fossil fuel product. We need to showcase the advantages that we have over other fuels.
What does your generation offer to the propane industry that previous generations did not?
Our generation has a willingness to embrace change. Change is constant. We need to embrace all of the good that comes with change. If change doesn’t provide something appealing on the first pass, this generation is willing to find the nuance that will make it appealing.
What specific technologies are you using (or plan to use) to support business operations?
We have moved all operational items to a digital platform. We have routing software, tank-tracking systems and mobile technologies to allow our team to adjust with up-to-the-minute information. We are able to track and record all incoming data for review. This allows us to review what we have achieved and efficiently plan for the future.
What propane industry associations are you involved with at the state and/or national level?
I am the incoming president of the Ohio Propane Gas Association. I also chair the Propane Awareness Committee.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself, your company and/or the propane industry?
The propane industry has revealed a lot of life’s secrets. It has taught me several values that a man should have. I have met great men and women who consistently place others before themselves. The industry is filled with hard-working, caring people. We all may have a different logo on the front of our shirt, but at the end of the day, we continue to reach out and help one another.
Way to go Frank