LP Gas Hall of Fame honors 4 in front of record crowd

Nothing could stop them this time.

The LP Gas Hall of Fame welcomed four new inductees Saturday night in front of a record crowd at the Omni Nashville Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

Doug Auxier, Joe Rose, Richard Barker and Nancy Coop at the 2022 LP Gas Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 23. (Photo: LP Gas staff)

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the event’s cancellation in 2020 and 2021. But like many propane industry events this year, the LP Gas Hall of Fame induction dinner returned to its normal time frame – on the eve of the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo, traditionally held every April.

The latest class featured Doug Auxier of Auxier Gas; Richard Barker, formerly of Silgas; Nancy Coop of Cetane Associates; and Joe Rose, formerly of the Propane Gas Association of New England (PGANE). They joined 40 inductees whom LP Gas magazine has honored since the event launched 10 years ago.

“Our four inductees have been waiting at the doorstep of the Hall of Fame. They were ready to enter the Hall two years ago – but were denied by the pandemic,” said Brian Richesson, editor in chief of LP Gas. “Finally, the spotlight is shining brightly on them tonight.”

The evening brought notables and firsts for the LP Gas Hall of Fame. In front of more than 180 attendees, the Hall honored its first woman as Coop joined her late father, Casey Jarvis, as an inductee. LP Gas inducted Coop for her role as the founding chair of the NPGA’s Women in Propane Council – and Jarvis in 2014 for his revolutionary designs of propane delivery vehicles.

Auxier continues to advance his family-owned retail operation in Batavia, Ohio, while having supported the U.S. propane industry for more than 50 years through his involvement, strong leadership and information sharing. Barker spearheaded the construction of an underground propane storage cavern in the 1970s to alleviate supply challenges in the Midwest. Rose, the former president and CEO of PGANE, advocated for propane and united a six-state region for about a decade of his near 40-year career.

Steve Kaminski, the president and CEO of NPGA, was a special guest, addressing attendees during the program. The Propane Expo opens Sunday night at the Music City Center and runs through Tuesday.

Nominations are now open for the 2023 class and can be made at lpgashalloffame.com.