LPG Spotlight: San Isabel Services Propane

Many of the office employees at Colorado-based San Isabel Services Propane have worked at the company since its founding. (Photo by Robin Geiss)

Since purchasing San Isabel Services Propane from San Isabel Electric Co. in 2011, Jim and Cathy Wallace have offered their drivers four-day workweeks.

Understanding how critical quality of life is for their employees, the Wallaces focus on maintaining 10-hour routes, despite the ebb and flow of the economy.

“Many of our routes are quite a distance from our yard, so we often need extra time to service our customers,” says Jim Wallace. “Four 10-hour routes simply make sense for our business. Not to mention, our drivers appreciate the additional time they can spend with their loved ones.”

Aside from offering four-day workweeks – which limits overtime – the Wallaces provide drivers on-call pay, production bonuses and profit sharing/401(k). All staff members receive holiday bonuses, and the company pays 75 percent of each employee’s health insurance.

Furthermore, the company’s fleet of 12 trucks is equipped with routing technology that enables drivers to update their customer accounts as they travel throughout southern Colorado. Since the company has propane storage facilities in remote delivery areas, drivers don’t have to worry about empty tanks, allowing them to focus on serving as many customers on the road as possible.

Due to these offerings, the company has maintained high employee retention, regardless of the job market’s recent challenges. It also recruits and hires new talent on a steady basis.

General Manager Robin Geiss primarily uses indeed.com and lpgasjobs.com to find new hires. The company also relies on internal referrals, believing they “produce the best results.”

“When our employees are happy and discuss our company’s culture, it’s easy to recruit new employees,” stresses Cathy Wallace. “After all, when happy employees foster strong relationships and discuss what San Isabel Services Propane is all about, people simply tend to visit our company and seek out job opportunities.”

San Isabel Services Propane also has developed a relationship with a truck driving school in nearby Pueblo, Colorado, ensuring its drivers can earn their commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) as close to their homes as possible.

“The cost of earning a CDL is challenging enough. For example, at the truck driving school near us, a new driver will pay $14,000 for one,” Geiss states. “If propane companies can ease this process for their drivers in any way, such as helping them earn their licenses in their local community, they should consider doing so.”

The company developed relationships with military recruiters in the area to employ several veterans who sought long-term careers after serving their country.

“Our military relationships have been critical the last few years,” Cathy Wallace says. “With a strong military presence, your propane company can potentially have the same employee loyalty that ours does.”

San Isabel Services Propane also has fostered a robust safety program, leading to employee well-being and, in turn, loyalty. Most office employees have worked at the company since its inception.

“Through our monthly safety meetings, we empower our employees with in-depth, comprehensive training,” Jim Wallace says. “That way, everyone is truly part of the big picture at all times.”

Company profile: San Isabel Services Propane

Year founded // 2002
Owners // Jim and Cathy Wallace
Headquarters // Pueblo West, Colorado
Bobtails // 12
Annual gallon sales // 3.5 million