By Leslie Kilgore EBS STAFF
Colton Weskamp, regional manager of Borealis Fuels & Logistics, grew up in the Gallatin Valley and first got his start in the industry working for his father’s propane business, Madison River Propane.
After his family sold their business, he gained more experience working for the city of Billings, but always wanted to return to the area he called home for most of his life.
Now, he oversees the Belgrade branch of Borealis Fuels & Logistics, which services Gallatin Valley, Big Sky and the Ennis region. Explore Big Sky caught up with Weskamp to find out more about his role, the growth in business and what he loves about working and living in Montana.
This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.
Explore Big Sky: When did you first come to the area, and what initially brought you here?
Colton Weskamp: I first moved to Bozeman in 2009. My dad got a job here, so he moved the whole family from northern California to Montana. I went to high school in Belgrade and graduated in 2010. I grew up in the Gallatin Valley, but I spent a few years in Billings working for the city as a water operator, and then I moved back to Bozeman.
EBS: What did working as a water operator in Billings entail?
CW: I was installing underground water mains and fixing leaks, doing water samples, and other things like that for the city of Billings. I’ve also been in the propane industry since 2010 with my family, so I never really got out of it.
EBS: How did you get your start in 2010?
CW: My dad owned a propane business before we moved to Montana and sold it to Heritage Propane, which was Northern Energy. And they offered him a job to come run their offices in Belgrade and West Yellowstone. He then opened Madison River Propane, and I worked for him there, learning the business.
EBS: Can you tell us about the services you offer at Borealis?
CW: We are a full-service business. We can install above-ground and underground propane tanks, we run gas lines, we service propane heaters, propane systems, and we deliver to commercial, agricultural and residential customers in the Gallatin Valley.
EBS: Where is most of the company’s work, and where are you growing?
CW: We do a lot of residential work in Big Sky. At Moonlight Basin, Spanish Peaks and in Bozeman and Belgrade. We also service the Ennis area.
EBS: What do you do for your agriculture customers? Is there anything particularly interesting or different from what your residential customers receive?
CW: Yes. Many ranches have things like big irrigation pumps or grain dryers and big heaters. We service all of those. And some have a few 1000-gallon propane tanks, some have 30,000-gallon propane tanks with vaporizers hooked up.
EBS: So what skills do you use, and what do you do day-to-day for the company?
CW: Growing up in the industry, I started as a customer service representative in my dad’s company at age 19, and then worked my way up to doing services, setting up propane tanks, and working on propane tanks in general. And then I managed my own store. My dad eventually sold his company to Thomson Gas, a more corporate nationwide company.
EBS: And then you began at Borealis?
CW: Yes, I got hired as a manager, so my duties include overseeing the service department and the drivers for the Belgrade branch.
EBS: How does Borealis differ from some of its nationwide competitors?
CW: It’s a good-sized company, but very locally-focused. We have 15 different locations in the U.S. and Canada. The leaders give us the reins to run our own branch and grow our own business. They often work behind the scenes and let the local managers take care of what they need to do on a day-to-day basis.
EBS: What do you think is the most challenging thing about working in your industry? What are some things that people might not know about?
CW: The most challenging thing, other than the weather here, would be helping people get familiar with how to shut off and look at their propane tanks and not be scared or intimidated. If there is an emergency and somebody smells gas, the first thing they need to do is shut off their propane and be comfortable doing so. And then also having everything up to code, so there are no setbacks.
EBS: Right. So, do you see more setbacks with all the growth in the Gallatin Valley?
CW: Yes. A lot of the newer homes are building AC units, and they are adding different vents on the heaters and the propane system. They often put them too close to the regulators. So those have to get vented away, or they have to change certain things after being installed, in order to be up to code.
EBS: As Gallatin Valley and Big Sky grow, and more new residents build homes, is it apparent that propane and heating systems are an important thing for people to know more about?
CW: Absolutely, everyone’s underground propane tanks have to be tested every three years, and they have to have cathodic protection hooked up to them, or your underground gas line, if it’s steel or copper, could fail. So that should be tested annually. And they should have a leak check done on their propane system annually.
EBS: Is there a good way to communicate that information to all of your new and existing customers?
CW: When we acquire a new customer, we do a leak check on the system. And then we also do a walkthrough. We see what they have for appliances, we make sure everything is adequate and up to date, and also up to code. The regulators on the propane systems have to be replaced every 20 years, so we also check those too.
EBS: What do you think is the biggest change in your industry right now in the area?
CW: Just keeping up with all the growth and development is a big change. There are more and more propane companies coming in every day, which is good. It’s great. Everybody needs competition, and we all want to acquire new customers and be able to service all the new residents.
EBS: Does everyone need propane?
CW: Yes. Absolutely. Everybody needs propane or natural gas. Some houses go all electric, but if they want a generator for backup when the power goes out, those have to be diesel or propane. In Bozeman, there is a lot of natural gas, but in Big Sky, there is none, so almost everyone has propane. It’s definitely a big industry in the area. And getting bigger.
EBS: What is your most important goal in ensuring Borealis continues to be successful here in southwest Montana?
CW: We want to make sure that no one ever runs out of gas, especially in the winter. And that we are always able to service our customers, no matter the weather or driving conditions.
EBS: What do you like most about working and living where you grew up?
CW: I love coming up to Big Sky and driving around and looking at the scenery. This is my favorite time of year, with the leaves changing and the weather getting cooler. I like sweatshirt season. I also like meeting all the new local people and supporting the local businesses. I try to eat at all the local restaurants and shop at the local shops.
EBS: We like hearing that. Can you also tell us your favorite thing about growing up in Montana? What are some of your best memories?
CW: I grew up hunting and fishing and Montana has the best hunting and fishing of any state.
I think if you’re into the outdoors, Montana is the place to be. Exploring all the national forests and all the public lands, it can’t be beat.
EBS: We couldn’t agree more. Thanks for your time and for serving the Big Sky and Gallatin Valley residents.
CW: Absolutely. Winter is coming, and we are ready.
