Event Photos
| Commemorative Flag Makes Historical Journey |
| Danvers, MA District |
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Eastern’s Danvers District Manager, Jim Blake raises the flag to commemorate the company’s first storefront, established at the 131 Water Street location in Danvers, MA. 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. |
| Rochester, NH / Corporate Headquarters |
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In October of 1969, the Clement family acquired Tri-State Gas on South Main Street in Rochester, NH from John Cafasso, which added a second regional storefront. As part of the negotiations, Mr. Cafasso agreed to stay on with the company for one-year; however he stayed on until his retirement 37 years later. Many other Tri State employees continue to work at Eastern today. When the company outgrew its South Main Street location in 1978, operations were moved to a new facility at the end of Railroad Avenue in Gonic, NH. Several other regional transactions were to follow and in 1991 Vern Clement retired naming his son, Chuck Clement as President. In later years the company expanded product offerings to include fuel oil. In 1999, Rochester business owner Cider Berry sold his company, EZ Fuels, to Clement and signed on as Eastern’s Public Relations Director where he is still employed today. The new millennium brought a time of corporate restructure and Chuck Clement named Jeff Taylor as company Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. This was followed in 2001 with a move to 28 Industrial Drive in Rochester, NH prompted by a centralization of operations. This location now serves as Eastern’s Corporate Headquarters and Rochester District Office. |
| Winchendon, MA District |
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With the acquisition of Mor-Gas and the Murray Davenport Gas companies, the need for a local storefront was recognized and land at the 600 School Street address was purchased. A new office building was constructed and the Winchendon district office was born. 30 years later, the site still serves Eastern customers throughout the Greater Monadnock Region. |
| Loudon, NH District |
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Eastern’s Loudon District Manager, Bill Massey raises the flag to commemorate the 1991 establishment of the company’s fourth district office. The acquisition of the Farmington Gas and Pittsfield Gas companies resulted in the need for a local storefront. Within a year, construction at the 16 International Drive address was complete and the Loudon district office was born. After 16 years, the site now serves Eastern customers from Weare to Waterville Valley. |
| Hudson, NH District |
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Eastern’s Hudson District Manager, Bernie Moore raises the flag to commemorate the 1997 establishment of the company’s fifth district office. When the Clement family acquired the McDuffie Petroleum Products, this added heating oil to their product offerings. This move redefined the corporate identity as Eastern Propane & Oil. Within three years, offices were relocated from their former McDuffie locale to a facility at 5 West Road and the Hudson district office was born. After a decade, the Hudson district office is still staffed by some of the original McDuffie employees and continues to serve Eastern customers from Hooksett, NH to Littleton, MA. |
| Franklin, MA District |
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Eastern’s Franklin District Manager, Chuck Gilbert raises the flag to commemorate the 1997 establishment of the company’s sixth district office. To serve a growing customer base on the South Shore, the establishment of the Franklin, MA district office was next to follow in 2002. A distribution facility in South Dennis, MA, further supports these operations. Together, these facilities serve Eastern propane customers from Maynard, MA to Provincetown on the Cape. |
