LP Gas Hall of Fame profile: Brian Sheehan

March 17, 2026 By Jennifer Webb 0 Comments

The 2026 LP Gas Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony will take place April 18 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. This year’s inductees are Joe Armentano of Paraco Gas, Bob Barry of Bergquist, Denis Gagne of Eastern Propane & Oil and Brian Sheehan of Rural Computer Consultants. Visit the LP Gas Hall of Fame website.

Brian E. Sheehan’s groundbreaking work to offer computerized solutions to marketers has revolutionized the propane industry, and for that, he’ll be enshrined in the LP Gas Hall of Fame.

But he’d be the first to say the honor goes to his team – including many family members and staff who have become like family – at Bird Island, Minnesota-based Rural Computer Consultants Inc. (RCC).

“That is why he deserves this recognition,” says his son Kyle, now a co-owner and head of the team’s MOGO (Mobile Office on the Go) product and sales. “Who better to recognize than the individual that understands the recognition is not theirs alone?”

Sheehan founded RCC in 1979 with his older brother Kevin, when, as young adults, they were dabbling with computers and found a way to help their dad Fabian with his propane delivery business.

As they demonstrated faster ways to do everything, from tracking orders to printing invoices, Brian and Kevin began offering solutions to other independent marketers.

Eventually, they landed contracts with larger marketers, and the pair were on their way. Under the leadership of Brian and their sister Susie Sheehan-Peterson, RCC became the niche technology solutions provider it is today, with more than 70 employees throughout the country.

RCC’s unique fuel distribution system provides complete back-office software for propane and fuel companies. It manages orders and deliveries, processes electronic payments and offers remote tank monitoring and more, with the flexibility to customize the program to each customer’s needs. Its MOGO product offers a truck interface for service, cylinder and bulk delivery needs, including the ability to print invoices on-site.

Kyle, who now runs the company with his sister Jessica Sheehan-Balderston, and Susie’s daughters Abby Thurston and Holly Garberich, pointed to RCC’s products that create automatic budget calculations using historical usage, prices and complex degree-day algorithms and can generate nearly 500 reports.

He notes that the company was “a unicorn” – one of just a handful of software companies when it was founded – and its ability to outlast some of its biggest competitors was driven by the hard work and innovation of his father. Brian’s service mentality put customers first simply because it was the right thing to do.

Millions of lines of code, 10 software rewrites and thousands of developments later, Brian saw the value in talking with those who actually use their products to determine if they’re meeting their needs.

“There are too many features to name that RCC and Brian have introduced to the industry, nearly all of them having a concept, screen design or function that was dreamt up or created by Brian,” Kyle says.

Often, those concepts came as a result of a customer’s unique need, and Brian was quick to find a solution. Sometimes, his team might say, a little too quick.

“Customers would ask if the software could do something, and, without hesitation, Dad would say, ‘Oh yeah, we can do that.’ Meanwhile, somewhere in the background, Susie would be thinking, ‘Nope. That’s not how that works,’” says Jessica, a co-owner and head of support. “But then, somehow, a couple of months later, the developers would have built it the way Dad said it should be. It became a running joke – ‘Brian says …,’ so it must be true.

“What people saw as optimism was really vision. He believed things could be better, and then he made sure they were.”

▶ Developing more than products

Brian, who retired in July 2025, believed that his employees could be better, too. He worked hard but kept the mood light, always motivating with positive affirmations and good humor – and his laugh in the office was famous.

“It’s big, genuine and completely unmistakable – just like him,” Jessica says. “His laugh has a way of putting people at ease, making stressful moments lighter and turning coworkers, customers and even strangers into friends. It’s contagious.

“And while he loves to laugh and make sure everyone is having a good time, he also knows when it’s time to get to work – and when he does, things get done.”

Freddie Ridler, who’s worked 20 years for RCC and serves as its head of business growth, called him one of the biggest mentors of his life.

“When stress was high, he was outside grilling in the middle of winter to bring some excitement back into the office,” Ridler recalls, remembering another episode involving rolls of toilet paper and a leaf blower in the office. “Yet, he was always looking at growing the business. He always had a plan. He was the biggest blue-sky dreamer I’ve ever met in my life. He would take something good and make it even better.”

When he came on board at RCC, Ridler says, he didn’t know much about propane beyond the cylinder in his grill. But Brian could see that he’d be successful in sales and marketing. He pushed Ridler to take on bigger projects and trusted him enough not to micromanage.

After Ridler recorded a podcast one day, Brian told him how impressed he was with his work. “Keep doing what you’re doing,” Brian said at the time.

Those words serve as a catalyst for Ridler now. He writes the acronym KDWYD “everywhere” as a reminder of Brian’s affirmation.

“He’s not just a boss, not just a founder, not just ‘the big cheese,’ as they call him here; he was more like that father figure who kept repeating to us, ‘It’s OK to fail.’ It’s how he got where he is now, taking risks, believing in yourself,” Ridler says. “If you hit the bar, raise it even higher.”

▶ Making a difference

A self-professed introvert, Brian pushed himself, as well. Always striving to be of service, he followed his father into the Bird Island Lions Club in 1991. When the local grocery store was about to go under, for example, Brian led a group of community leaders to step in to buy it, to ensure a local supply of food.

Gradually, he took on more responsibilities within the Lions organization and in 2022 became the international president of Lions Club International.

He spent the next year as chairman for the Lions Clubs International Foundation, which funds large-scale global humanitarian efforts. Together with his wife Lori, who’s also a Lion and Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, Brian has delivered motivational speeches all over the world. In all of 2022, he spent a mere 10 days at home in order to make appearances at Lions events, including ones that involved world leaders.

Through it all, his vision and his humility have made a deep impact on not only the propane industry, but the world.

“He never chased the spotlight, but quietly helped build technology, solutions and people that shaped how this industry operates today,” Jessica says. “But to me, beyond the innovations, the leadership and the decades of work, he’s simply Dad – the one with the unforgettable laugh, the huge heart and the constant desire to help others succeed.”

RCC founder prepares to hand leadership reins to next generation