Meet the Top 5 Propane Retailers

Meet the top 5 who handle "1075." (image: propane.pro illustration)

Earlier this month, LPGas Magazine put out its annual list of the top 50 propane dealers in the country, ranked by the number of gallons of propane each company retailed for the fiscal year. What’s noteworthy in the new rankings? The consistency at the top. The only change among the top 11 companies, was between numbers ten and eleven, which switched places this year. It is also worth noting that despite AmeriGas’ increase in outlets (more than double the previous year!), its 2010 fiscal year gallons dropped almost four percent. Still, it remains in the top spot.

Here’s a quick look at the top 5 retailers, with a few notes about their performance in 2010:

1. AmeriGas
AmeriGas was founded in 1959, and today the company’s 1.3 million customers make it the largest propane marketer in the country. Based in Pennsylvania, AmeriGas has locations in all 50 states. The company (NYSE: APU) is owned by the utility company UGI Corporation.
Outlets: 1,200 in 50 states
Customers: 1.3 million
2010 Fiscal Year Retail Gallons: 893,400,000

2. Ferrellgas
Established in 1939, Ferrellgas has grown from a family-owned propane company in Atchison, Kansas, to a company that now serves approximately one million customers around the country. Ferrellgas (NYSE: FGP) is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.
Outlets: 846 in 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico
Customers: About 1 million
2010 Fiscal Year Retail Gallons: 849,794,943

3. Heritage Propane
Under the banner of Heritage Operating LP, Heritage Propane distributes propane to more than 1.1 million customers, with concentrations in the Southeast, West, Upper Midwest, and Northeast. Founded in 1989, the company is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Outlets: 524; 41 states
Customers: 1.1 million
2010 Fiscal Year Retail Gallons: 558,000,000

4. Inergy LP
Operating since 1996, Inergy offers services to both producers and consumers. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company retails in 33 states, serving 700,000 customers to date.
Outlets: 356 in 33 states
Customers: 700,000
2010 Fiscal Year Retail Gallons: 369,700,000

5. Suburban Propane
Since its modest beginnings in 1928, with the story of how a solution to one woman’s cooking problems has grown into what is now a multi-million dollar business, Suburban Propane now serves 800,000 customers nationwide. Based in Whippany, New Jersey, the company now has approximately 300 locations in more than 30 states.
Outlets: 300; 30 states
Customers: 800,000
2010 Fiscal Year Retail Gallons: 317,900,000

(Visited 1,967 times, 1 visits today)