75th Anniversary News
In 2016, White Mountain Oil & Propane celebrated being in business for 75 years!
As part of our overall celebration, we held a contest to find our "longest-standing customer." Whichever loyal customer produced the oldest documentation ( i.e. a fuel delivery ticket, an invoice, a burner service tag) would win a year's supply of heating fuel from this company.
We are pleased to announce the winner is Bob Keon and John McLaughlin, who co-own a home in Jackson. They produced an invoice from 1969 for an oil tank connection and have been loyal customers ever since then. We received both a copy of the invoice as well as a wonderful letter written by the two families, which makes us proud to do our jobs!
Congratulations to the McLaughlin and Keon families! We are glad to have been "always there for you...."
December 2016
Dear White Mountain Oil & Propane,
47 years ago, as two 20-something year old teachers, we decided to purchase the empty Meserve Farm barn owned by Brooks Dodge on Route 16 in Jackson and convert it into a ski house. With our limited construction knowledge, experience, and expertise, we relied on our many friends, skiing buddies, neighbors, and North Country tradesmen to guide us along the process during our summer vacation and fall work-weekends to make the building habitable for the coming ski season of 1969. During the process and with the help of professionals, we learned the trades of architectural design, carpentry, plumbing, electricity, painting, sheetrock/plastering, insulation, mice & squirrel control, and everything else along the way.
One local company, in particular, that “held our hands” through the process was White Mountain Oil & Propane Company. From the start we were on a first name basis with White Mountain Oil’s Service Manager, the late Charlie Hutchins, and over the years his service department met every challenge which “The Barn’s” heating system brought them. The downdraft, forced hot-air furnace purchased from a Massachusetts’ heating company (not from White Mountain Oil) was problematic from the start. Several times early on, it would conk out, plunging the temperature inside “The Barn” to below freezing, resulting in burst water pipes.
One of the solutions was to install a red light on the front of “The Barn” that would flash if the temperature inside fell below 45 degrees. Many a time, a White Mountain Oil delivery driver would spot the red flashing light as he drove by and report it to the service department, who were there ASAP to the rescue. Another time the furnace heating chamber developed a crack and “The Barn” was condemned until the furnace was replaced. Within a week it was…. Thanks once again to White Mountain Oil. More recently the chimney had to be replaced; they solved that problem. And in the 47 years they have never missed an oil delivery.
Now in our “youthful” 70’s, we still own “The Barn” together and occasionally have relatives and friends enjoy the accommodations. Bob and his wife, Connie recently purchased a retirement home in Jackson. John lives in Swampscott, MA and in retirement does volunteer work for the town. “The Barn” also stands as a testament to an enduring friendship between two families and White Mountain Oil & Propane, a company with loyal, outstanding, long-term service to its customers in the North Country.
Bob Keon and John McLaughlin, Jackson, NH
