LP Gas Magazine asked its editorial advisory board what helps propane retailers sleep at night. The answers cluster around safety, systems, and margin — and each one carries a lesson for independent operators.
In its February issue, LP Gas Magazine put a simple question to its editorial advisory board: what can propane retailers do to sleep better at night? Six industry leaders answered, and their responses are worth reading in full.
Safety came up first and most often. Tom Jaenicke of ATomiK Creative Solutions pointed to reviewing and updating employee safety training programs so that, in his words, safety awareness fronts every work decision employees make. Michelle Bimson Maggi of Ferrellgas put it plainly: to have peace of mind, you have to put safety first, backed by planning, training and employee coaching. And Mike Walters of Superior Energy Systems gave the most operational answer of the group: maintain your trucks, train your drivers, keep your equipment operational, hold good supplier relationships, and make sure you ordered enough fuel — and have somewhere to put it.
The money side got equal weight. Dustin Delay of Cost Management Solutions said the retailers who sleep best have certainty around their pricing structure — a clear margin target, protected through hedging. Christina Armentano of Paraco Gas tied it together: risk drops when a business runs on strong systems, clear accountability and disciplined execution, with real visibility into assets, margin and operations. Dan Richardson of Conger LP Gas added the people dimension — build a team with an ownership mindset and give them the training to grow.
Here’s what we take from those answers. None of the six leaders talked about grand transformation projects. Every answer was about discipline in the basics: training that actually happens, equipment that actually works, margins that are actually protected. For an independent retailer, that’s good news — none of it requires a massive overhaul, and most of it costs more attention than money.
In our view, the margin advice deserves particular attention heading into winter. A retailer who knows their margin target — and protects it — removes the single biggest source of seasonal stress. Pair that with honest visibility into where every tank, truck and receivable stands, and the business Armentano describes — predictable instead of reactive — starts to look reachable for operations of any size.
The full roundup, with each leader’s answer in their own words, is at LP Gas Magazine. The through-line is hard to miss: retailers sleep better when safety is trained, systems are watched, and margin is protected — not because the market got calmer, but because the business got more disciplined.