Chris Hill becomes third Meritum leader to chair PERC

Tom Van Buren, Rob Chalmers and now Chris Hill.

Hill’s selection as the new chairman of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) completes a trifecta for the leadership team at Meritum Energy Holdings. Van Buren (2015-17) and Chalmers (2018-19) preceded Hill as PERC’s top volunteer leading its executive committee, and Hill’s new role continues the Texas company’s heavy involvement in the propane industry.

Hill, Meritum’s president and CEO, replaces Chris DeFilippo of Superior Plus Propane as chair and leads a PERC Executive Committee composed of Michael DeBerdine of Rhoads Energy Corp., vice chairman-marketers; Mike J. Garcia of Targa Resources, vice chairman-producers; Dan Richardson of Conger LP Gas, treasurer; and Bob Young of Eastern Propane, secretary.

Hill’s selection also comes as PERC prepares its new strategic plan, now in development for 2026-28.

“We have to think about how to protect the gallons we have and take advantage of the massive opportunity in markets we historically haven’t had,” Hill said during his introductory comments, which included a nod to the industry coming together to help those impacted by the floods in his native Texas.

Hill recounted how he joined PERC three years ago to help “defend our turf” amid the growing threats to the industry.

“We have the best of everything,” he says of propane as an energy source and the already-developed infrastructure. “We have to do a good job of making sure we promote our product as best we can.”

Propane industry leaders, now including Hill, sense a shift is taking place in the energy environment with a more propane friendly presidential administration installed in Washington, D.C. It’s an opportunity, Hill says, for the industry to build momentum that could pave the way for the next 10 to 15 years.

To do that, Hill cites several next steps for the industry and is thinking big in the process.

• Not only promote propane to the right audience but have the industry perform safely when called upon to solve a problem.
• Invest in opportunities that will grow the market. He references diesel displacement and the tens of billions of diesel gallons sold annually for which propane can serve as a cleaner alternative.
• For PERC leaders to think critically of themselves, challenge the status quo and ensure the council is spending industry dollars effectively.

“As a 9-to-10-billion-gallon-a-year industry, I believe it should be 12 [billion] to 15 billion in the next 10 years,” he says.

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