McAdams Propane Company

McAdams Propane Company: propane distribution in East Texas

McAdams Propane Company is a locally owned company based in Shelby County, Texas, that supplies propane to homes, businesses, and farms. The company has operated since 1996 and presents itself as one of the top sixteen propane service companies in the country, according to its own description. Its activity focuses on supplying an alternative fuel that the firm describes as affordable and environmentally friendly, in contrast to other more expensive and polluting gases.

Services and capabilities

The company serves three main segments: residential, commercial, and agricultural. Its professional team is focused on providing prompt propane delivery service. The firm has integrated tank monitoring technology that allows fuel levels to be checked from the main office and anticipates supply shortages, reducing emergency calls due to running out. It also has tracking systems for its truck fleet, with information on location and dwell times.

The company's capacity ranges from filling 20-pound cylinders for barbecue grills to 9,000-gallon transport loads, reflecting a vertically integrated business model.

Family structure and management team

McAdams Propane is a family business that has passed through several generations. It is currently led by Billy Bob and Lisa McAdams, along with their son Josh McAdams and daughter-in-law Sharisse McAdams. Billy Bob serves as president; Lisa handles accounting and financial details; Josh directs daily operations, manages human resources for approximately 90 employees, and negotiates the company's supply contracts.

The family history goes back decades in the energy sector of Shelby County and Deep East Texas. Lisa's maternal grandfather worked as a truck driver for the local butane and propane supplier Bu-Pane, owned by Mack Bussey, father-in-law of then Center Mayor John D. Windham. Lisa's parents, Weldon and Jimmie Boles, also worked for that company. Billy Bob and Lisa moved away from Center in 1980, when he worked for Southwestern Bell, but returned in 1981 to join Lisa's father's propane business.

Technological and operational evolution

The addition of Josh McAdams in 2008, after his experience in the midstream sector of the energy industry in Houston, drove the company's adoption of technology. The firm has implemented a level of computer integration that, according to Lisa McAdams, is unusual among regional companies of similar size. Despite this, the company still considers itself a family-type business, far from the large national marketers.

Billy Bob McAdams notes that the biggest changes in the industry have come from increasing regulation and rising costs of materials, equipment, labor, insurance, technology, and fuel. On the other hand, he highlights improvements in efficiency and customer service thanks to technology.

Midstream Transportation Company

In 2014 the family founded Midstream Transportation Company, a bulk transport company serving Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi. This division is dedicated to the economical transport of products such as propane, isobutane, normal butane, Y-Grade, propane-propylene mix, natural gasoline, crude oil, petroleum spirits, and other LPG mixes. It also offers commercial flare services in the Gulf Coast region.

Local presence and community commitment

The company maintains a network of offices and distribution centers in East Texas, with a presence in Center, Carthage, Marshall/Jefferson, San Augustine, Jasper, Henderson, Livingston, and McGregor. The company describes itself as a locally owned and operated business that reinvests time, talent, and resources in the communities it serves.

Business hours

Hours vary by season. In winter, from October to February, service is Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. In summer, from March to September, hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Locations

Center location: Phone: (936) 598-7444

Carthage location: Phone: (903) 693-7444

Marshall/Jefferson location: Phone: (903) 935-5033

San Augustine location: Phone: (936) 275-2925

Jasper location: Phone: (409) 202-5140