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| Waltz & Sons has been in business since 1996 and is a full-service propane company which focuses on residential propane and offers free site surveys, installation, service, remote tank monitoring, prompt deliveries, and Pre-Buy and Budget plans. COURTESY PHOTO |
Waltz & Sons specializes in the Hearth Products and services all brands. They are a distributor of the Regency Brand and a Rinnai ACE Dealer which is the highest service level Rinnai recognizes in their partners.
“We started the company from our home in 1996. We built and moved to our current location in December of 2018,” said Sue Waltz. “We currently have 16 full-time and one part-time employee. We are proud to have 11 of those employees who are 35 years old and younger and two of which hold management positions.”
Her husband, Skip, launched the business after doing subcontracting work for propane companies in the Portland Area.
“That grew into us buying tanks and having another company deliver the propane to our tanks. That grew into us buying our first delivery truck,” Waltz said. “It was about the time our son Mike joined us after serving in the U.S. Air Force. From there, we have consistently grown to who we are today. Of course, there were many bumps in the road as with any business, but we are proud to be the company we are today.”
The most significant aspect of Waltz & Sons is that the business only serves residential customers.
“We do have a few Mum and Pop shops like the Buxton Mini mart or home based businesses but no larger commercial,” Waltz said. “By doing this and focusing on the home products we stand out in our field as we are training specially on the hearth and home products. We do not work on furnaces or boilers though, as we work with plumbers to whom we refer that business. Therefore, we’re not competing against them but rather are working with them to offer homeowners the best possible service for their products.”
The company differs from its competitors through its fully staffed service department with all employees fully licensed for inside and outside service and maintenance. During the winter months many companies do not set up propane tanks or service equipment as their service staff are busy with deliveries, but Waltz & Sons takes the time to do so.
“The main goal of our company is single call resolution and there is always a family member available to take a call,” Waltz said. “We also staff our 24/7 on call service with our management so that again, all calls are a single resolution whenever possible.”
She said the key elements leading to the success of Waltz & Sons are investing in their employees, investing in equipment, and investing in the communities it serves.
“We’re a small family-owned business that puts trust in our employees and we’re proud of our employee training program,” Waltz said. “We sponsor many activities within our service area and support local services as well. We feel we are very competitive for our services and are generally under the state average for our propane pricing.”
Educating homeowners about the propane business also is an essential task for Waltz & Sons.
“Planning ahead is helpful as you can’t get a tank tomorrow and you can’t put propane in someone’s else’s tank as it’s against the law to deliver to someone else’s tanks,” Waltz said. “New regulations about fossil fuels make it necessary to educate residents about the benefits of propane.”
Their focus on exceptional customer service has paid off. It received the Institute for Family-Owned Business Chalmers Customer Service Award in October and took “Gold” in the Portland Media Groups “Best of 207” in 2023. The company was third in the Small Business Category of the Best Places to Work in Maine Awards this year, the first time it was part of that competition and Waltz & Sons is on the National Top Retailers list as published by LP Gas Magazine in the category of Single State Retailers. In 2024, Waltz & Sons received a load of Renewable Propane and were the second in the state to receive such a load, and the first in Maine to receive a load used in the residential market.
For further information about Waltz & Sons or to learn how they can serve you, call 207-929-8898 or visit https://www.waltzandsons.com/ or find them on Facebook or Instagram under Waltz and Sons. <
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