LPG Spotlight: Propane Ninja

After dealing with complications from back-to-back hurricanes in 2024, Mike Dodd knew it was time for Propane Ninja to make some upgrades before the next hurricane season.

“We had two hurricanes back-to-back within two weeks of each other in Tampa,” says Dodd, co-owner and CEO of the Florida-based propane retailer. “There were some glaring issues that we recognized in our market here. There were Propane Ninja enhancements that we need to work on.”

One of those issues was propane storage. After the hurricanes impacted propane supply, Dodd wanted to ensure that Propane Ninja would always have enough fuel on hand.

“We put in an additional 84,000 gallons of storage, bringing us to 114,000 gallons of storage, in order for us to extend our supply at the plant so that we don’t get put in a position like we did last year when there was a power outage at both of the terminals we pull from, and that created a three- or four-day lag time in local fuel being delivered,” Dodd explains. “So, we brought in fuel from Mississippi. We brought fuel in from out-of-state pipelines. Our wholesale carrier, Legend LLC, was fantastic. They stepped up, they sent additional trucks, they brought fuel in from out of state.”

Thanks to the support from Legends, Propane Ninja did not run out of fuel.

“We kept our dispensers full, and we kept our fuel plant full,” Dodd says.

Propane Ninja also lost its internet during the hurricanes. Even though the retailer still had electricity thanks to a standby generator, its internet distribution center flooded, so there was no internet in the area. Luckily, Dodd had a friend who could help.

“There was a company that sent us a Starlink system that they had sitting in the closet from Louisiana,” Dodd recalls. “That company is called Vacherie Fuel.”

Vacherie also sent a truck and a driver to help Propane Ninja with its deliveries.

Since the 2024 hurricanes, Propane Ninja has started using FirstNet from AT&T, a high-speed wireless broadband network for public safety. The retailer will also keep using Starlink, so it will have access to satellite-based internet when another hurricane strikes.

“What happened last year showed us what we needed to fix,” Dodd says. “Now we can start to get to work on those issues.”

Now, as this year’s hurricane season approaches, Propane Ninja is making final preparations for the impending storms. Part of that preparation means working to ease storm-related propane demand before the storms even start.

“We also do early top-off discounts,” Dodd explains. “If we start seeing hurricanes come in, we’d rather try to alleviate any deliveries within days of the storm. And because generators don’t really draw a lot of fuel when they’re not being used, it’s just better to go ahead and give them a full delivery, get them topped off and make them ready for any storms that might be coming, which should help alleviate the demand during the times of need.”

Dodd also has regular meetings with his team during hurricane season to make sure everyone is on the same page.

“We’ll have refresh meetings probably next month to discuss our plans and how things work, and best practices and SOPs (standard operating procedures) for hurricane readiness,” he explains. “Having a Plan B if the power is out or if the office is without internet. You know, having contingency plans.”

By the time the storms arrive, Propane Ninja will have battened down the hatches, so to speak. The 30,000-gallon tank and the two 42,000-gallon tanks at the company’s headquarters are rated for 200-mph winds, and they are securely anchored to the ground, so they will be unharmed and unmoved by any storm, allowing Propane Ninja to operate and respond to its customers’ needs.

“Everything’s going to stay put,” Dodd explains. “We’re going to be ready to rock after the storm passes.”

Company Profile: Propane Ninja

Year founded // 2013
Headquarters // Plant City, Florida
Founders and owners // Mike Dodd and Peter Samuelson
Number of bobtails // 3
Total number of employees // 65, plus 20-35 temporary employees during the busy season
Online // propaneninja.com

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