Propane Personality: Chris Hill

Chris Hill
President and CEO, Pico Propane and Fuels
Education
Texas Tech University
Bachelor of Science in Finance
Class of 1997
Work Experience
March 2015-Present
• President and CEO
2010-15
• Senior Vice President
Prior to 2010
• Hill worked in the real estate development business.
His start in propane
Hill’s work in real estate led to his entry into the propane industry. While developing a community in central Texas, Hill and his team hired a company to operate a jurisdictional propane system. When that company faced financial trouble, Hill put together a group to buy the business. “Next thing you know, we’re in the propane business,” he says of his new venture, JP Energy Partners, which formed in 2010. JP rebranded the company it acquired as Pinnacle Propane. Hill and his colleague, Rob Chalmers, ran the propane side of JP Energy Partners. As JP was diversifying into other segments, they decided to branch out and set up Meritum Energy, the holding company that acquired Pico Propane and Fuels, in 2015. Chalmers is now executive vice president and CFO of Meritum, based in San Antonio. Pinnacle Propane was acquired by SHV Energy in 2017.
Nearing 10 years
In 2025, Hill and company will celebrate 10 years since their foundational acquisition of Pico Propane. In that time, they also have acquired companies in Florida and North Carolina. “It’s been quite a ride,” Hill says. “We’ve gone through several economic cycles; we’ve gone through COVID. First and foremost, we’ve built a resilient business and have a really good team, and we feel like that’s been the most rewarding part – being able to go through some pretty challenging economic times as we were building a company. Now as we continue to get a little larger, that gives us more stability and more opportunity to grow as we find the right markets or the right acquisitions.”
The next decade
Hill was asked about his goals for the next 10 years and where he sees Pico. “I see us in this for the long haul; I see us continuing to get into markets we like, to expand our offering in the markets we’re already in. I would like to see us continue to add certain products to our mix, such as generators and propane-burning appliances, where it makes sense. We’ve done a couple of showrooms. I would like to see us expand into parts of Texas we’re not in, and there’s the potential to expand territory in North Carolina, Florida and maybe other states as we find the right opportunities.”

Industry involvement
Over the years and through its growth, Pico Propane and Fuels leadership has gotten more involved in state and national organizations. Hill says his team has gotten to know and like the industry and the clean-burning fuel it represents. He is currently on the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), also holding the position of vice chairman, marketers. It serves as a liaison between the council and PERC’s Advisory Committee. CFO Rob Chalmers is a former PERC chairman, and COO Tom Van Buren is the current chairman of the National Propane Gas Association. “We feel like it’s the right thing to do – to give back and support the industry,” Hill says.

Hobbies
When he’s not working to grow Pico Propane and Fuels or volunteering for industry organizations, Hill says his highest priority is supporting his family. He also loves the outdoors – hunting, fishing, skiing and golfing.
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