Propane Personality: Lucy Shaffer’s path back to the family propane business

September 25, 2026 By Chris Markham 0 Comments

Shaffer

Lucy Shaffer

Marketing & Communications Associate, Shaffer’s Bottled Gas

Education

Duquesne University
Bachelor’s Degree, Corporate Communications & Forensic Humanities
Class of 2016

Work Experience

September 2021-Present
Shaffer’s Bottled Gas
Marketing & Communications Associate

February 2020-September 2021
Allegheny Health Network
Utilization Review

August 2015-February 2020
UPMC
Vocational Specialist
Safety Officer

June 2006-October 2017
Shaffer’s Bottled Gas
Employee

Finding her way back home

Growing up in the family propane business, Shaffer has been working at Shaffer’s Bottled Gas since high school. “My parents were very much insistent about stressing the importance of work ethic,” she recalls. “I started by painting tanks and digging trench lines.”

Eventually, Shaffer’s mother pushed her to go to college, so she attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she graduated in 2016. After graduating, she explored other fields before ending up back in propane.

“I took a few unconventional jobs,” she explains. “And I realized, well, the most interesting thing I’ve done was propane. So why don’t I go back [to Shaffer’s Bottled Gas] and try it? And I’ve been there since 2021, and I couldn’t ever imagine leaving the industry.”

Today, she handles the marketing and communications for Shaffer’s Bottled Gas, which includes crafting internal and external messaging, reviewing analytics, authoring scripts for radio advertisements, organizing a yearly community event and more.

Young Professionals Council

When Stephanie Hennen of Lakes Gas approached her a few years ago about starting the Young Professionals Council (YPC), Shaffer was immediately on board. By the YPC’s second year, Shaffer was serving as vice chair.

“I started as vice chair, just kind of steering the council, our values, what we were looking to do, how we were creating value for the members, what we can do to help,” she explains. “Our slogan is ‘connect, grow, lead.’ So that is our vision right now. So that has been exciting.”

Shaffer says the YPC is involved in several different initiatives, including education, community service and networking. “We’ve been developing educational opportunities,” she says. “We work on community involvement – we do that through our day of service. Right now, we’re partnering with Operation BBQ Relief, who uses 99 percent propane to cook their meals for first responders and folks that have been affected by natural disasters.”

For Shaffer, instilling confidence in the younger workforce is also an important part of the YPC.

“Younger professionals getting into the industry, it can be a little intimidating. There’s a lot of verbiage. There’s a lot of education that you need, and it can be a bit daunting for younger professionals. The Young Professionals Council was really built to instill confidence in younger professionals.”

Shaffer poses with Frank the Tank at the Somerset County Megashow, where Shaffer’s displayed its products. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Shaffer)

Telling the family story

When she looks ahead, Shaffer sees herself staying at the family business, which has been serving the community for over 100 years.

“My future is just continuing down the path of marketing communications, helping to tell the story of SBG (Shaffer’s Bottled Gas). We do have a fascinating history,” she says. “We actually go back to 1901. We started as a hardware store. So being fifth generation, you feel like you’re carrying a weight and you’re carrying a legacy, so right now, I just want to be as respectful as I can to that legacy, continuing to demonstrate the value of our company and what we can offer our community.”

Hobbies

“Outside of work, Shaffer enjoys going to the gym every day and staying active. She’s also recently gotten into baking bread and cookies, which she’s turned into a side business of providing fresh-baked food for soldiers at her local Army base.”