LPG Spotlight: Jones Propane

November 24, 2025 By Chris Markham 0 Comments

Since taking over the company, Gabe Jones has focused on adding efficiencies. (Photo courtesy of Jones Propane)

Jones Propane, founded in 1999 by the father-son team of Jackie Jones Sr. and Jackie Jones Jr. in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is rooted in three generations of family experience and service.

After working for a large retailer for 30 and 10 years, respectively, Jones Sr. and Jr. wanted a business of their own.

“In ’99, my dad finally convinced my grandpa to start their own thing,” says Gabe Jones, the current owner and manager of Jones Propane.

The company began as a small operation offering 100-pound cylinder exchanges for cooking and fireplaces before expanding with the purchase of a bobtail in 2001.

“They started with just 100-pound cylinder exchanges. That’s all they had,” says Gabe Jones, who took over the company after his father died in 2021 while he was still a junior in high school.

“I turned down several competitors trying to purchase us,” Jones recalls. “This is what I wanted to do. I wanted to take over my dad’s company.”

Since taking over, Jones has prioritized bringing technology into the business.

“They were so old school; there was no technology – nothing like that,” Jones explains. “I’ve added routing software. We’ve got tablets in the trucks. We’re just trying to become more efficient. You know, efficiency is everything in the propane industry, so you’ve got to become efficient. We’ve got tank monitors out there; I added a website.”

With the improved efficiency and technology, Jones Propane can better serve its customer base, which includes residential and commercial accounts across eastern North Carolina. The company offers propane delivery, tank monitoring, new tank installations and cylinder exchange services.

“We’ve got some home heating, but there’s not a lot of customers. We’re in North Carolina and it stays warm, and everybody’s using heat pumps and stuff like that, but we’ve got a lot of fireplaces, cook stoves and water heaters,” Jones explains. “And we do have commercial. A lot of gallons are commercial, but we don’t have a whole ton of commercial customers compared to residential customers.”

While going through these changes, Jones has still retained all his employees who originally worked for his father.

“We’re like a family,” Jones says. “Except for the couple guys I’ve added the past two years, everybody’s been there over 10 years.”

Jones Propane’s reputation, built over decades, remains central to its mission.

“The name is everything,” Jones says. “Your reputation is everything. Once you get a bad reputation, you can never go back.”

This legacy is reflected in customer relationships and the company’s standing in the community.

“My family’s lived in this area for generations, probably five generations we’ve lived in this area, and probably further back we’ve lived in eastern North Carolina, so your name becomes pretty prominent,” Jones explains.“My dad would say a good name goes a long way and a bad name goes a lot further.”

To build on this reputation, Jones is overseeing a big milestone: the company’s first acquisition of another retailer. With this acquisition, Jones gains the retailer’s bobtail and customer base.

“I feel like if I do this one, it’ll get my name out there,” he explains.

Company Profile: Jones Propane

Year founded // 1999
Headquarters // Jacksonville, North Carolina
Founder // Jackie Jones Sr., Jackie Jones Jr.
Owner // Gabe Jones
Number of Bobtails // 3
Total number of employees // 7
Online // jonespropane.com