LPG Spotlight: Reagan Bonnette on the colleague who pushed her to get involved

August 21, 2026 By Brian Richesson 0 Comments

Reagan Bonnette tends to surround herself with good people. That’s certainly been the case as she’s risen to the top of Stringer Oil & LP Gas, her family’s South Carolina-based propane business, over the past 15 years.

When LP Gas named Bonnette a 2025 Rising Leader, she thanked a host of people, including her grandfather, Wilson Stringer, and father, Smitty File. James Harris of Blossman Gas and 3eightEnergy was also on that list.

During this year’s Southeastern & International Propane Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, Bonnette talked about the important role Harris has played in her career. She calls it a lesson in mentorship – no matter if that mentor is also a competitor with a location nearby.

Bonnette remembers the day about four years ago when Harris walked into the Stringer office, and she immediately questioned the reason for his visit.

“It was the first time anybody had asked for me by name – it wasn’t my dad or my grandfather – and he handed me his card,” Bonnette says. “I didn’t really know why he was there, and we were busy. Something else was going on, and I said I’d reach out.”

Later, the two went to lunch, and Bonnette recalls being guarded and even standoffish, “trying to figure out what I thought about all of this.” When they met a second time, Bonnette let Harris know: Stringer is not for sale.

“I don’t care if we ever talk about Blossman and Stringer in that sense,” Bonnette recalls Harris telling her. “I’m here because I care about my industry. I want more young people involved. You’re a young person, and I’m trying to advocate for this. I would like for you to get more involved.”

Harris, who’s been in the industry since 1996, encouraged Bonnette to attend the Southeast Propane Alliance fall meeting. He encouraged her to join a committee.

“I took a chance,” Bonnette says, “and I couldn’t believe how I felt afterwards.”

Mentorship motivated Harris to reach out to Bonnette. He explains about how Blossman Gas COO David Reynolds served as a mentor to him – a positive experience that he wanted to share with someone else.

“You have to take it upon yourself to get involved, but if nobody ever lets you know what’s going on, how do you know that?” Harris says. “The industry’s been really good to me for 30 years, and I want it to continue. … People who are older in the industry should want our legacy to be what we leave and who we touch so they can carry on for the [next] generation to do that.”

Bonnette hopes their story will encourage other industry members to reach out to their younger colleagues – just like Harris did with her.

More online

Visit lpgasmagazine.com/bonnetteandharris to watch their video interview at the Propane Expo.

Company profile: Stringer Oil & LP Gas

Year founded // 1954
Headquarters // Anderson, South Carolina
Owner/leadership // Reagan Bonnette and Smitty File
Annual gallon sales // 500,000
Employees // 7
Online // stringerfuel.com