LPG Spotlight: Blue Flame Propane

Located in southeastern New York, Blue Flame Propane is unique among many propane retailers based in cold climates – it sells just as many gallons during the summer as it does in the winter.

The primary reasons? First, since its Middletown, New York, headquarters is roughly one hour north of New York City, many of its summertime customers are seasonal residents who have summer homes. Second, it services more than 40 seasonal summer camps, which are mainly populated by religious groups from New York City.

“Many of these camps have heated pools and commercial kitchens,” says owner Jason Cooley. “Their seasonal propane usage varies by the size of the camp, but they range from a few hundred gallons to over 30,000 gallons in a 10-week period.”

Although some of the camps are maintained for year-round usage, the majority of them are only open during the summer. Consequently, from May 1 to Oct. 31, the propane retailer sells approximately 42 percent of its annual gallons. Not to mention, the camps – and summer homes – require Blue Flame Propane’s services before summer begins, as employees will also service tanks to ensure they’re up and running safely and effectively.

Whether the retailer is supporting these homes and camps in the summer or serving local residents during the winter, most of its business operations are focused on selling propane to end users. According to Cooley, the rest of Blue Flame Propane’s services will support that primary goal.

“For our fuel-purchasing customers, we will set tanks, service-related piping and regulators; service and install appliances; and try to help customers use this utility in a stress-free way,” he says. “We offer automatic delivery and budget plans, accept New York state HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) benefits and have remote tank monitors for easy and efficient delivery routing.”

Despite the retailer’s busyness practically all year long, it only has one location with three people in the office (and five out in the field). Therefore, a call during business hours will be answered by one of the same three people whenever a customer needs assistance. Before and after business hours, Blue Flame Propane uses an answering service that takes messages and forwards emergencies to a dispatcher for timely service.

To maintain its small office appeal, which leads to first-rate customer service for more than 4,000 customers in Orange and Sullivan counties, Cooley isn’t trying to “reinvent the wheel,” he says. Instead, he just wants to “keep it spinning true and more efficiently,” as he focuses on achieving a key goal – delivering 2 million gallons of propane in a calendar year.

“Our future plans involve expanding our service area. For 30 years, we have had the same service area and feel we are nearing the time when we can move beyond our 30-year-old area borders,” Cooley emphasizes. “We hope to continue our standing as a locally owned and operated business that’s rooted in our community through its employees.”

Cooley adds, “Blue Flame Propane strives for consistency, familiarity and transparency with our customers and community, which will remain the case as it expands and prepares for the next 30 years.”

Company Profile: Blue Flame Propane

Year founded // 1994
Headquarters // Middletown, New York
Founder // Jeffrey Cooley
Owner // Jason Cooley
Number of bobtails // Five
Annual gallon sales // About 1.8 million
Total number of employees // Eight, along with one seasonal driver
Online // blueflamepropaneny.com