Kamps Propane in Oakley is just a small piece of the larger puzzle that has been providing propane to California customers for 40 years.

Kamps President John Kamps expanded his propane business, which he first opened in Manteca in 1969, with a location in Bethel Island, which he later moved to Oakley before branching out the franchise to Hayward, Sacramento and Placerville. Today there are a total of 10 retail locations in California, but Kamps Propane can be found throughout the western seaboard at resale dispensaries at gas stations and hardware stores.

“We’re (Kamps) the last remaining independent propane distributor,” said Kamps Oakley Account Executive Joe Silva. “It’s a very competitive business. All the big dogs are out on the east coast, but we’re holding down the fort. What sets us apart is that you get quality, personal service when you work with Kamps Propane. That’s what people really want, so that’s what we bring to our clients. Plus, it’s important to support local business. The Kamps headquarters are in Manteca, so it all comes back to the Bay Area.”

“My goal has been, and continues to be, to deliver the highest quality, value and reliability to each and every Kamps’ customer,” said Kamps. “Kamps achieves this by having the best qualified and trained team that we’ve developed over the years. I am proud of the Kamps Propane team and the great job they’re doing.”

Silva said most new homes don’t rely on propane, but smaller communities in Bethel Island, Byron and Knightsen are reliant on propane as their source of energy. Propane is used to power more than family barbecue grills. Propane fuels water heaters, clothes dryers, furnaces, space heaters, pool and spa heaters, plus portable stoves.

“Propane is one of those hidden commodities in life,” Silva said. “It’s easy to overlook, but if you don’t have natural gas, then you probably use propane. You probably don’t even think about propane, but once you’re aware of it, you’ll see it everywhere. It’s more common that most people realize.”

Silva said propane is popular with farmers who use it to power heaters that dry crops such as walnuts and other foods. Propane is also used in the agriculture industry to power irrigation pumps, greenhouse heating systems and generators.

Kamps is also revolutionizing the propane industry with the introduction of the Smart System, a monitoring device that automatically alerts Kamps when a customer is in need of more propane. The Smart System sends several reports per day to keep Kamps employees updated on their customers’ needs so that they can deploy a service truck to a customer before the customer runs out.

Ken Hitchen, manager of Oakley’s Kamps, said since the far East County location has been so successful since opening in 1973, the retail operation is expected to move in the next year to a facility off Wilbur Avenue in Antioch, where they’ll be able to store more than 90,000 gallons of propane and serve even more customers.

For more information, visit www.kampspropane.com.