LP Gas Hall of Fame celebrates 10th class of inductees

Photo by LP Gas staff

The LP Gas Hall of Fame welcomed its 10^th class of inductees during a dinner and ceremony Saturday night at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

For the second straight year, nearly 200 attendees joined the propane industry celebration, which is held on the eve of the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo. The Propane Expo runs through Tuesday at Music City Center.

LP Gas Publisher Brian Kanaba and Editor-in-Chief Brian Richesson led the ceremony on stage, while NPGA President and CEO Steve Kaminski served as a special guest, addressing attendees and recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Propane Expo.

“When you look at the past nine classes of the Hall of Fame, you see names like Snelling, Therrell, Nicholson, Willingham, Revere, McClendon, Young, Willis, Lugar,” Richesson said. “Tonight, we add four more distinguished inductees to that list as we celebrate our 10th class.”

LP Gas Hall of Fame 2023

The Class of 2023 includes:

• Steve Ahrens, executive director of the Missouri and Arkansas propane gas associations who is best known for his leadership at the state and national levels;
• Tom Jaenicke, an experienced consultant from ATomiK Creative Solutions whose volunteerism in the industry runs deep and whose insight about propane markets and applications has served as a guiding light for retailers;
• Billy Prim, an entrepreneur from small-town North Carolina who founded cylinder exchange provider Blue Rhino Corp., putting propane and propane products front and center for consumers, in their backyards and on patios throughout the country;
• Don Schultz, an independent marketer from Schultz Gas Service who built a career around safety and gained notoriety for designing a product that allows delivery personnel to fill forklift cylinders at the customer’s location.

Ahrens, Jaenicke and Prim attended the event and accepted their awards, while Schultz, who died in 2009, was represented by his son, Tom Schultz, and daughter, Terri Marsee.

LP Gas launched the Hall of Fame in 2012 to honor the industry’s pioneers, icons and leaders, who are chosen by an anonymous selection committee composed of different segments of the industry. The committee receives nominations throughout the year. An induction dinner has been held annually except for two years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nominations are now open for the next class of the Hall of Fame. Visit lpgashalloffame.com.