If you want to see how the face of the home heating fuel industry in Connecticut is changing, look no further than Carin Oppelt, President of Town Oil in Wethersfield.
“I was really excited to see how many women were in the line-up today [at the Southern New England Energy Conference] for the same reason as me. There are a lot of daughters taking over the family businesses from their fathers and grandfathers, and it’s been cool to see. You get a lot of diverse opinions,” Oppelt said during the taping of the latest episode of the podcast Mission Possible: Delivering Cleaner, Greener Fuel Today.
“I’m the third generation in the business. My grandfather started the company in 1963. My Dad took over the business, and I just took over the reins with a business partner,” Oppelt said. “Along the way, this became a dream job for me. I love everything about industry, my career, and serving our customers.”
More than 50 percent of people in Connecticut use home heating fuel to keep their homes safe and warm during cold, winter months. Oppelt said she is proud of the fact that the fuel she sells is greener and cleaner than it was decades ago.
“I love that we have deliverable, liquid fuel that works within people’s existing systems with very few upgrades and changes needed. I think it’s fascinating to see how the fuel was developed as a biofuel mix,” Oppelt said. “We’ve been working on educating our customers on what Bioheat®Fuel is because a lot of people don’t know that there is something different about the heating fuel they’re using today.”
Oppelt said the driving force behind her business is, of course, the customers they serve.
“I absolutely love our customers. We have a good deal of customers who have been with us since 1963 which is just amazing to see, and they really do feel like an extended part of our family at this point. It’s nice to be able to look out for people in our community, to take care of them when things go wrong, and even to just be there for them in a human way. A lot of people call us just to chat,” she said.
Oppelt shared one touching story of how her staff helped one family feel less alone during a really difficult time.
“I have one customer who ends every phone call with ‘I love you’ and she genuinely loves us. We were there for her when her elderly mother was at home and in hospice. We would go visit and see her mother. It was really special to be involved in her life in that way,” she said.
Oppelt reiterated the fact that many of her service technicians would go out of their way to visit the woman in hospice, to keep her company, and let her know that she wasn’t alone.
“We would take the time to go up and see her mother when not a lot of people were coming by to visit,” she added.
Oppelt’s connection to her customers is heartfelt and deep. Because of this, she says the future for her industry is bright, and that it’s the driving force behind everything she does.
“We will just continue to be customer focused, and serviced focused. It’s really about doing what is right for our customers, our employees and the community. We’re adapting, keeping up with all the changes and I think it’s going to be a bright future,” Oppelt added.
You can watch this episode of Mission Possible on YouTube, and listen to it on many podcasting platforms including Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music.
show notes:
(show notes)Mission Possible: Delivering Cleaner Fuel Today highlights our members and how their businesses have changed over the years by delivering cleaner, greener fuel. We also talk about federal and state electrification efforts, the good work our members do for their communities, and how they care about their customers. CEMA stands for Connecticut Energy Marketers Association. We represent 600 family-owned heating fuel companies throughout the state and region. The show is hosted by Shelly Sindland, CEMA’s director of communications.
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