Why Ferrellgas is embracing new training standards early

At Ferrellgas, we believe in growing our business safely, through operational excellence, consolidation and strategic growth.

We aspire to be the propane company most admired for its people, partnership and performance. That will only happen through safe and consistent operations by our field professionals. A focus on safety is the mission we live by every single day. At every level of our company, our employee-owners lead with safety top of mind – by staying alert, taking ownership and making decisions rooted in integrity.

As president and CEO, I take Ferrellgas’ commitment to safety very seriously. It is my responsibility to ensure our employee-owners are safe and that our customers’ safety is a part of everything we do. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about leadership. My senior leadership team is the best in the industry. Through their commitment, we have built a culture of safety to be proud of.

Part of being a leader is focusing on innovation. To move forward, you must change. Innovation drives our industry, and strategic change is essential to long-term success. The employee-owners of Ferrellgas are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the curve. That’s why we are proud to be early adopters of the Propane Education & Research Council’s Education Program (PEP). As change champions, we are transitioning from the Certified Employee Training Program to PEP because it is employee-focused. Its modular platform combines e-learning with hands-on training, giving employees a chance to fully understand and retain this important information.

Adopting PEP required dedicated time, effort, coordination and teamwork. Our safety team, in collaboration with our employee development team, spearheaded our implementation of PEP. Human resources, IT, operations and other departments across the company were also part of the project. At Ferrellgas, we are at our best when we work together, and our PEP implementation is a prime example of that. This project showcases how our teams collaborate and own each project. Every single person brings value to the table, and every single voice is heard.

I firmly believe our people are the key to our success. We want our field leaders to be empowered to convey important safety knowledge to their teams, leading to a collaborative environment that fosters learning for years to come. By investing in our people and their safety, we’re not just protecting them; we are investing in them, allowing them to grow, to lead and to succeed in an environment where they will do their best work.

Our industry has a longstanding commitment to safety, and rightly so. But it’s up to us, as leaders, to take the next step and keep our industry moving forward. By continuing to innovate, invest in training and support one another, we will continue to raise the bar to deliver on our promise to our customers.

In the end, it all comes down to people. When you take a step back, it’s clear that the time, energy and effort behind any safety innovation are always worth it. Our people, both our employee-owners and our customers, deserve the best we can give them every single day.

Tamria Zertuche has been president and CEO of Ferrellgas since August 2023.

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