Many family owned businesses in this industry do a lot of things very well, yet can blunder terribly when it comes to financial matters. These errors can cost the family significant value and prevent it from achieving the very goals it set out to achieve when the business was started.
Read More Sibling rivalries. Father–son power battles. Non-active vs. active shareholder issues. Patriarchs unable to relinquish the reins to the next generation. A family-owned propane company’s conflicts come in all types and variations.
Read More Family-owned propane companies are significantly more complex in their organizational dynamics than the traditional mom and pop label often used to characterize them.
Read More Like many of his peers in the LP-gas business, Johnny Williamson, branch manager of Four Point L.P. Gas, has seen the Georgia retailer’s sales volume stagnate over the past four heating seasons as a result of unseasonably warm weather that’s plagued many areas of the United States.
Read More Electronic payments processing, including electronic check conversion and collection, continues to grow at a rapid pace in the U.S. Surprisingly, one of the last industries to adopt electronic check processing is the propane industry.
Read More The early February deep-freeze that had propane sales across the country jumping should be a godsend to marketers squeezed by the lowest weather-driven propane demand in the last four years.
Read More With rising oil and materials costs, weak winters and unsure economic times, propane retailers are always looking for additional sources of income.
Read More When spot propane prices at Mont Belvieu topped $1.16 this past July, I wondered if spiraling world oil costs would be the final blow that would push marketers out of the business once and for all.
Read More Awareness is the first key to successful safety management. Without awareness, we may be whistling in the dark, assuming we understand exposures and degrees of risk that may impact our employees, our customers, our suppliers, our vendors, our community and our bottom line.
Read More As I travel around the country talking to retailers, most are quick to mention that customer service and loyalty are what set their business apart from the competition. But, much like safety, I have to wonder how many offer only lip service.
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