How the propane industry reflects the realities of life

March 8, 2026 By Brian Richesson 0 Comments

This March edition of LP Gas is best known as our show issue. It’s our LP Gas Hall of Fame issue. But the more I think about this 2026 issue, the more I think about life and the human condition.

There’s so much happening in the propane industry, especially coming off another winter heating season, this one producing a polar vortex and other weather systems that have led to periods of extremely cold temperatures, snow and ice in much of the country, even in regions not always accustomed to these conditions. There’s never a shortage of information to share about the propane market, or the companies and people that power it.

As we’ve produced this issue, though, it seems we’re bringing to light more examples of life’s ups and downs, its challenging and sometimes tragic moments, and its successes.

As you read this issue, some of these examples will be evident, some requiring a closer look.

▶ The journey

Like on page 10, where we share Bergquist’s story of a former employee’s organ donation journey, how Don Heller underwent a successful kidney transplant after decades of battling chronic kidney disease. And the donor? His daughter, Katie. It’s a story that will make you pause and consider the decisions you might make if you were in his or her shoes. They hope their story will encourage more people to register as organ donors.

Like on pages 11 and 20, where we fulfill propane industry member Warner Jones’ request: “I just wanted to somehow thank as many people as I could,” he told us on a call after Winter Storm Fern devastated northern Mississippi with ice, knocking out power for many. The Southeast Propane Alliance and others were looking out for their friends and colleagues.

Like on page 80, where we tell a story related to the tragic 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Cut off from directly accessing one of its most important terminals, a propane marketer had asked for help sourcing product from a competing company’s terminal so it could better service its customers in the mid-Atlantic. The response from the competitor: “We’re here to help.”

Like on page 88, where we turned a 90-minute conversation with industry veteran David Lowe into our monthly Propane Personality profile. A closer look at that page reveals a new scholarship that Lowe launched this year in memory of his daughter, who was studying to be a nurse.

▶ Finding their calling

You also think about those young adults trying to find their calling with the opportunities available to them. The propane industry is working to give them even more options while helping the companies that employ them.

As we report on page 70, propane associations in 13 states have successfully lobbied to lower the minimum age for CDL hazmat drivers from 21 to 18 for intrastate commerce. Now, young adults who like to be outside, behind the wheel and talking to customers can seek employment with their local propane company.

“Being a propane bobtail driver is exactly what I want to do,” one young employee told Mike Hayden of Keystone Cooperative in Indiana.

Certainly, our Hall of Fame inductee profiles, beginning on page 40, are filled with life’s up-and-down moments. Reaching the pinnacle is never without bumps in the road.

Several years after becoming president and CEO of Bergquist, Bob Barry was involved in a serious car crash that took away his memory. He didn’t know his wife’s name. He didn’t know his kids’ names. Fortunately, his memory returned, and Barry would lead and grow Bergquist in his own selfless ways, inspiring his employees to do the same.

LP Gas magazine has always been about the propane industry.

But as we see this month, more than ever, this special industry reflects the realities of life.

Featured homepage image: Medesulda/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

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