News & Events
| Thursday, June 28, 2007 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2007 |
| DANVERS, MA—On July 5th at 11:00am, a very special flag raising will occur at 131 Water Street in Danvers, MA. The flag, which recently flew over the United States Capitol building, was a gift from U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) to Chuck Clement III owner of Eastern Propane & Oil to commemorate the company’s 75th year of service. It will be raised by Eastern’s District Manager Jim Blake to commemorate the company’s first storefront, established at the 131 Water Street location. The site still serves as Eastern’s Danvers District Office today. Blake will be joined in the celebration by his staff and special guest Meghan Clement, a fourth-generation member of the founding Clement family. To symbolize the company’s journey through history, the presentation flag from Senator Sununu will also be raised and flown over each of Eastern’s six district offices throughout New England. Following a week in residence at the Danvers location, the flag will move on to flag raising ceremonies at Eastern’s other district office locations in Rochester, NH; Winchendon, MA; Loudon, NH; Hudson, NH; and Franklin, MA. The sequence of locations traces the pattern of Eastern’s expansion throughout northern New England. When Charlie Clement owner of Danver’s Hardware purchased nearby Haley Electric in 1932, it’s unlikely he imagined that his business would one day serve more than 80,000 residential and commercial customers in over 600 communities throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. As part of the Haley transaction Clement acquired 200 propane gas accounts and began selling propane from his hardware store. During the next 14 years, impacted by the circumstances of the Great Depression and World War II, propane accounts and sales increased only moderately. After the war ended and veterans returned home the demand for propane accelerated dramatically. By 1950, gas revenues were exceeding those generated by the hardware store. Clement purchased land on Water Street in Danvers to build a much needed storage plant. In 1951 Charlie Clement retired and his son, Vern Clement, took control of the family operation, establishing Country Gas Distributors as a separate entity from Danvers Hardware. By 1966 the hardware store was sold and land was purchased beside the storage plant on Water Street in Danversport to build the first storefront for Country Gas Service. Throughout three generations, the Clement family has continued to expand the business through regional acquisitions and market growth to become what is now recognized as the largest family-owned retail propane operation in the northeast. In February 2007, LP Gas Magazine ranked Eastern as the 14th largest propane retailer in the US. Today, the company is known as Eastern Propane & Oil and employs over 320 people to service and supply propane and oil to more than 80,000 residential and commercial customers in over 600 communities throughout ME, MA, NH & RI. In addition to residential and commercial sales, the company also maintains a wholesale division for distribution to Eastern’s own retail operations, industrial accounts and smaller independent marketers. For more information about Eastern Propane & Oil, please call 800-523-5237. |
