Intro
We navigate efficiently and effectively in energy investments.
Since 2014, Sail Energy commenced operations to execute growth through both organic and acquisition channels in the energy distribution market. We’ve assembled a veteran management and financial advisory team that has completed over 100 acquisitions in this space and have led thirteen successful, integrated roll-ups. Sail Energy now serves over 30,000 customers in five New England states, New York and Pennsylvania.
Intro
We navigate efficiently and effectively in energy investments.
Since 2014, Sail Energy commenced operations to execute growth through both organic and acquisition channels in the energy distribution market. We’ve assembled a veteran management and financial advisory team that has completed over 100 acquisitions in this space and have led thirteen successful, integrated roll-ups. Sail Energy now serves over 30,000 customers in five New England states, New York and Pennsylvania.
Areas of Expertise and Added Value
We have developed a toolkit of industry best practices based on the collective experience of the Sail management team and have invested heavily in best in class systems that all of our portfolio companies are able to utilize.
Financial Management and Control
Most of our portfolio companies had older systems in place at the time of acquisition. As a result, they had very little visibility into the key drivers of their business. By implementing new systems, we have the ability to track key metrics
Customer Service Management
There is a significant opportunity to improve customer acquisition and retention by implementing improved systems and practices. We work with all of our portfolio companies to implement new CRM systems and procedures to more effectively manage our relationship with customers.
Supply Chain Management
We leverage the combined spend of all of our portfolio companies to negotiate better supplier pricing and terms. We also work closely with each of the companies to optimize route planning, dispatching, and service/delivery response times to shorten response times and lower the cost per gallon to service customers.
Testimonials
Testimonials
Joe & Karen Germain - Marr Oil
“When you sell your 75-year-old, 3 generation, very profitable family business, you are making one of the most significant decisions in your lifetime. Those thousands of customers over the years have become friends. When l first met Dennis O'Brien, two words came to mind, "CORE VALUES", with a customer-first mentality. The senior management team of John Tolan and Joe Reny were instrumental in a seamless transition for both my company and I. Thank You Sail Energy! Together we will do great things.”
John Campbell - Hometowne Energy
“While working with Sail Energy on the sale of Hometowne Energy Co., I found all members of the company interested and eager to answer questions and work together through the due diligence process. When any misunderstanding or disagreement arose, we were able to agree on a fair and equitable solution.”
Blanchard's Fuel
Blanchard’s Cash Fuel
Starting in 1995, Blanchard’s Cash Fuel began with a single oil truck and has grown to exceed the needs of families in the south-east region of Maine. Building a trusted reputation with his customers was owner, Don Blanchard’s, goal which he achieved by delivering exceptional customer service and maintaining a proven track record of success. Due to Don’s dedication and investment into the company, Blanchard’s is well-positioned to continue capitalizing on the significant market opportunities in the Maine energy market.
Being our most recent addition, Sail Energy added Blanchard’s Cash Fuel in October 2023.
Blanchard's Fuel
Blanchard’s Cash Fuel
Starting in 1995, Blanchard’s Cash Fuel began with a single oil truck and has grown to exceed the needs of families in the south-east region of Maine. Building a trusted reputation with his customers was owner, Don Blanchard’s, goal which he achieved by delivering exceptional customer service and maintaining a proven track record of success. Due to Don’s dedication and investment into the company, Blanchard’s is well-positioned to continue capitalizing on the significant market opportunities in the Maine energy market.
Being our most recent addition, Sail Energy added Blanchard’s Cash Fuel in October 2023.
Klebe Energy
Klebe Energy
Founded in 1989, Klebe Energy is a full service Propane and Fuel Oil company that takes pride in guaranteeing warmth and comfort to families throughout Western Connecticut. After seeing an opportunity to deliver premium value, Matt Klebe expanded the business in 1997 with the addition of an expert service department and again in 2018 with the acquisition of the trusted Goshen Oil brand. Under Matt’s leadership the company has developed into a well respected premier provider.
Sail Energy has expanded its presence in Connecticut with the March 2023 addition of Klebe Energy. Shared core values is the foundation that helped bring these two teams together. Matt Klebe chose to partner with Sail because he also believed they bring “a new level of business practices and strategies which will benefit our customers and employees. This is a great fit and I couldn’t be happier.”
Klebe Energy
Klebe Energy
Founded in 1989, Klebe Energy is a full service Propane and Fuel Oil company that takes pride in guaranteeing warmth and comfort to families throughout Western Connecticut. After seeing an opportunity to deliver premium value, Matt Klebe expanded the business in 1997 with the addition of an expert service department and again in 2018 with the acquisition of the trusted Goshen Oil brand. Under Matt’s leadership the company has developed into a well respected premier provider.
Sail Energy has expanded its presence in Connecticut with the March 2023 addition of Klebe Energy. Shared core values is the foundation that helped bring these two teams together. Matt Klebe chose to partner with Sail because he also believed they bring “a new level of business practices and strategies which will benefit our customers and employees. This is a great fit and I couldn’t be happier.”
Tower Energy
Tower Energy
Sail Energy incorporated its first Connecticut operations with the addition of Tower Energy in February of 2023. Tower is a premium energy retailer in Northwestern Connecticut, delivery propane, heating oil and Bio-Fuel to a mix of residential and light commercial. Through a number of acquisitions, Tower has developed a reputation for high quality delivery and service operations with a rich history going back over 50 years. The company operates a highly respected HVAC service department with full installation capabilities. With the merger, Sail Energy once again extends its footprint.
Tower Energy
Tower Energy
Sail Energy incorporated its first Connecticut operations with the addition of Tower Energy in February of 2023. Tower is a premium energy retailer in Northwestern Connecticut, delivery propane, heating oil and Bio-Fuel to a mix of residential and light commercial. Through a number of acquisitions, Tower has developed a reputation for high quality delivery and service operations with a rich history going back over 50 years. The company operates a highly respected HVAC service department with full installation capabilities. With the merger, Sail Energy once again extends its footprint.
Rinker Oil and Propane
Rinker Oil and Propane
Rinker Oil and Propane joined Sail Energy in December of 2021. Rinker is a premier energy retailer in the southwestern part of New York, delivering propane, heating oil, and motor fuels to a mix of residential, light commercial, and agricultural customers throughout western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Rinker Oil also resells gasoline and diesel fuel to a handful of gas station accounts and operates an HVAC service department with full installation capabilities. With the merger, Sail Energy extends its footprint in New York, first established in 2020, and enters the Pennsylvania market for the first time.
Rinker Oil and Propane
Rinker Oil and Propane
Rinker Oil and Propane joined Sail Energy in December of 2021. Rinker is a premier energy retailer in the southwestern part of New York, delivering propane, heating oil, and motor fuels to a mix of residential, light commercial, and agricultural customers throughout western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Rinker Oil also resells gasoline and diesel fuel to a handful of gas station accounts and operates an HVAC service department with full installation capabilities. With the merger, Sail Energy extends its footprint in New York, first established in 2020, and enters the Pennsylvania market for the first time.
Hometowne Energy
Hometowne Energy
Sail Energy made its first foray into New York with the acquisition of Hometowne Energy completed in March 2020. Formally established in 2002, Hometowne can trace its roots back to the mid-1940’s with Arnold Oil. In 1971, Bill Arnold sold the business, operated from the company’s Brockport office and bulk plant to Robert Thompson, his son-in-law. In 1980, Robert sold the company to his son-in-law, Chriss Andrews. Chriss led and grew the business through several transitions into a full service business with a keen emphasis on responsive customer service. Under Chriss’ leadership, Hometowne Energy has grown into a thriving, regional competitor serving over 10,000 accounts comprised of residential, commercial, agricultural, and wholesale customers throughout Western New York State.
Chriss described his decision to entrust his business to Sail Energy: “We are very pleased that Sail Energy chose to become the new owner of Hometowne Energy. They have a reputation for maintaining brand integrity and workplace culture when they make an acquisition. This was important to us since we really wanted to assure stability for both our customers and employees.”
Hometowne Energy
Hometowne Energy
Sail Energy made its first foray into New York with the acquisition of Hometowne Energy completed in March 2020. Formally established in 2002, Hometowne can trace its roots back to the mid-1940’s with Arnold Oil. In 1971, Bill Arnold sold the business, operated from the company’s Brockport office and bulk plant to Robert Thompson, his son-in-law. In 1980, Robert sold the company to his son-in-law, Chriss Andrews. Chriss led and grew the business through several transitions into a full service business with a keen emphasis on responsive customer service. Under Chriss’ leadership, Hometowne Energy has grown into a thriving, regional competitor serving over 10,000 accounts comprised of residential, commercial, agricultural, and wholesale customers throughout Western New York State.
Chriss described his decision to entrust his business to Sail Energy: “We are very pleased that Sail Energy chose to become the new owner of Hometowne Energy. They have a reputation for maintaining brand integrity and workplace culture when they make an acquisition. This was important to us since we really wanted to assure stability for both our customers and employees.”
Pioneer Oil
Pioneer Oil and Propane
Pioneer Oil and Propane, in Central Massachusetts, is the result of combining three successful businesses – Pioneer Oil Company, Marr Oil and T&T Oil. Sail made a significant investment with the introduction of propane as a product offering in 2016.
Pioneer Oil Company was our initial investment in the Massachusetts marketplace, made in 2015. Founded in 1956, Pioneer is a third-generation energy retailer with an office in Worcester, MA and an office and a state-of-the-art bulk storage location in Sturbridge, MA. Pioneer was previously owned by the Brunell family and provides heating oil delivery and service to over 5,000 residential customers across 32 cities and towns throughout central Massachusetts.
In 1942, Andy Germain established Marr-Oil Heat Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. In the now familiar “word of mouth” manner, Andy and his family grew their business by forming long lasting relationships with their customers. Marr was run by Andy’s grandson, Joe and his wife Karen. They took pride in knowing almost all their 900 customers, who they consider part of their extended family. Joe and Karen merged Marr Oil with Pioneer in 2017.
T and T Oil was a local company with strong ties to the community. Mary and Bobo Caloiaro owned and operated T and T Oil serving the greater Rutland, MA area for many years prior to Sail Energy. In 2018, we acquired T and T Oil and merged operations with Pioneer Oil and Propane.
Pioneer Oil
Pioneer Oil and Propane
Pioneer Oil and Propane, in Central Massachusetts, is the result of combining three successful businesses – Pioneer Oil Company, Marr Oil and T&T Oil. Sail made a significant investment with the introduction of propane as a product offering in 2016.
Pioneer Oil Company was our initial investment in the Massachusetts marketplace, made in 2015. Founded in 1956, Pioneer is a third-generation energy retailer with an office in Worcester, MA and an office and a state-of-the-art bulk storage location in Sturbridge, MA. Pioneer was previously owned by the Brunell family and provides heating oil delivery and service to over 5,000 residential customers across 32 cities and towns throughout central Massachusetts.
In 1942, Andy Germain established Marr-Oil Heat Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. In the now familiar “word of mouth” manner, Andy and his family grew their business by forming long lasting relationships with their customers. Marr was run by Andy’s grandson, Joe and his wife Karen. They took pride in knowing almost all their 900 customers, who they consider part of their extended family. Joe and Karen merged Marr Oil with Pioneer in 2017.
T and T Oil was a local company with strong ties to the community. Mary and Bobo Caloiaro owned and operated T and T Oil serving the greater Rutland, MA area for many years prior to Sail Energy. In 2018, we acquired T and T Oil and merged operations with Pioneer Oil and Propane.
Murray Oil
Murray Heutz Oil and Propane
Murray Heutz Oil and Propane brings together three respected operations within Central Maine – Murray Oil, Group Adams Propane and Heutz Oil.
Murray Oil was a fourth generation, family-owned retail energy supplier located in Turner, ME. Their history as a full-service distributor to both residential and commercial customers dates back to 1930, beginning with Jon Murray and one truck. 89 years later, Murray provides heating products and complimentary services to customers in 18 communities throughout central Maine.
Group Adams Propane was previously owned and operated by Bruce Adams. The company was headquartered in Livermore Falls, ME. Sail acquired all the assets of Group Adams Propane, including its customer list of over 1,000 customers, tanks, vehicles, tools, and equipment in 2014. The company’s operations were folded into Murray immediately upon close of the acquisition.
Heutz Oil was a third generation, family owned retail energy supplier located in Lewiston, ME. The company was founded in 1933. The company’s operation and team was blended with those of the other two in November of 2014.
Murray Oil
Murray Heutz Oil and Propane
Murray Heutz Oil and Propane brings together three respected operations within Central Maine – Murray Oil, Group Adams Propane and Heutz Oil.
Murray Oil was a fourth generation, family-owned retail energy supplier located in Turner, ME. Their history as a full-service distributor to both residential and commercial customers dates back to 1930, beginning with Jon Murray and one truck. 89 years later, Murray provides heating products and complimentary services to customers in 18 communities throughout central Maine.
Group Adams Propane was previously owned and operated by Bruce Adams. The company was headquartered in Livermore Falls, ME. Sail acquired all the assets of Group Adams Propane, including its customer list of over 1,000 customers, tanks, vehicles, tools, and equipment in 2014. The company’s operations were folded into Murray immediately upon close of the acquisition.
Heutz Oil was a third generation, family owned retail energy supplier located in Lewiston, ME. The company was founded in 1933. The company’s operation and team was blended with those of the other two in November of 2014.
Vaughn Oil
Vaughn Oil
Vaughn Oil is Sail Energy’s first acquisition in the state of Rhode Island, completed in late 2016. Founded in 1972 by William Cardarelli to provide fuel to his dry-cleaning business, Vaughn Oil immediately attracted the attention of neighbors and business clients who asked if he could deliver fuel to them as well. From these humble beginnings, Vaughn Oil grew into a thriving, full-service fuel delivery and heating equipment service company. Today the company serves residential and commercial customers throughout nearly all of Rhode Island as well as parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Vaughn Oil
Vaughn Oil
Vaughn Oil is Sail Energy’s first acquisition in the state of Rhode Island, completed in late 2016. Founded in 1972 by William Cardarelli to provide fuel to his dry-cleaning business, Vaughn Oil immediately attracted the attention of neighbors and business clients who asked if he could deliver fuel to them as well. From these humble beginnings, Vaughn Oil grew into a thriving, full-service fuel delivery and heating equipment service company. Today the company serves residential and commercial customers throughout nearly all of Rhode Island as well as parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Key members
Key members
Key Members
Dennis J. O’Brien serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. O’Brien has been involved in the propane and heating oil industry for over 32 years. He began his career in 1980 as a General Manager with Hodgdon Energy, Inc., a petroleum distributor in Berlin, New Hampshire. In 1988, Mr. O’Brien became a District Manager at Dead River Company, a regional petroleum distributor in Waterville, Maine where he continued to work until 2000. Subsequently, Mr. O’Brien joined Irving Oil Company, a Canadian-based oil and natural gas refining/distribution enterprise headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While working for Irving until 2004, he served as Irving’s New England Operations Manager with responsibility for 20 field offices serving in excess of 100,000 energy customers. In August 2004, Mr. O’Brien founded Seacoast Energy Consulting, a consulting company focused on delivering value to ownership and senior management for New England companies providing retail energy services. Seacoast Energy Consulting provided energy companies throughout the Northeast with guidance on strategic planning, planning leadership training, management, sales and operational consulting, enterprise valuations and merger and acquisition assistance.
As Sail Energy’s Chief Operations Officer, John Tolan is responsible for leading the Sales, Marketing and Operations teams as well as maintaining oversight of the company’s Merger and Acquisition pipeline, due diligence and integration activity. In this role, he is also responsible for project management for all aspects of the organization. Mr. Tolan joined Sail Energy in 2014 but began his career in the petroleum industry in 2003 with Irving Oil Corporation. Here, while working for Mr. O’Brien as a District Operations Manager, he led performance of residential and commercial energy delivery and service businesses throughout Maine and New Hampshire. During his tenure with Irving, Mr. Tolan also held senior level positions in International Logistics and Supply Chain Management as well as Project Management. As Project Manager, he was involved in numerous initiatives including infrastructure change management, mergers and acquisitions and business line startups. Mr. Tolan served as New England District Operations Manager until he joined Sail Energy as Senior Project Manager.
As the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Reny has overall responsibility for Finance, IT, Product Supply and Commodity Price Protection. He also participates in the overall management of the company and handles investor relationships and documentation. Prior to joining Sail Energy in 2015, Mr. Reny spent two years as an Assistant Vice President at UNUM Life Insurance and was responsible for providing senior executives and their teams with financial analysis. From 1999 to 2013, Mr. Reny held various executive positions at Irving Oil including Controller of US Operations, Director of Wholesale Supply, Director of IT and Director of Supply Management. Before joining Irving Oil, Mr. Reny was a manager at Schatz, Fletcher & Associates where he performed audits and provided tax and acquisition advice for a diverse range of clients including manufacturing, banking, retail and service companies. Prior to this, he worked as a Chief Financial Officer with Crowe Rope Industries, LLC, where he focused on consolidating multiple manufacturing locations, acquiring additional manufacturing and distribution facilities, banking relationships and the accounting function of the company.
Joe Trefethen serves as the New England Regional Manager for Sail Energy. In this capacity Mr. Trefethen holds responsibility for leading Sail’s field operations. This includes mentorship, training and recruiting of operational managers and teams. Additionally, he is responsible for measuring and providing accountability with the company’s objectives and key results. Prior to joining Sail Energy in 2019, Mr. Trefethen held the position of General Manager at Palmer Gas & Oil for the previous 11 years. In this capacity, he guided the company to substantial increases in revenue and customer satisfaction, improved fleet utilization and led the team’s efforts to update its mission statement and brand. During his time at Palmer Gas & Oil, the company was recognized with several awards including multiple Best of Business awards, Excellence in Risk Management and Business Pillar Award from the Salem, Chamber of Commerce. Before joining Palmer Gas & Oil, Mr. Trefethen held Operations management roles within Irving Oil Corporation in central New Hampshire between 2003 and 2008. During this time, he held responsibility for the distribution of residential and commercials fuels and bulk plant operations, maintenance and compliance. Also, during this time, he acted as a trainer and mentor for new managers throughout NH and VT during an acquisition of a large family business by Irving Oil.
Values
We lead according to Core Guiding Principles.
Trust.. We create trust by consistently acting with honesty, integrity and a commitment to a promise.
Accountability.. We will hold ourselves and each other accountable to ensure our team is successful through collaborative efforts, contributions and accomplishments.
Respect.. We are each responsible for acting respectful to one another, our customers and our communities, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Value of Relationship.. Whether with other members of our team, our customers or other stakeholders in Sail, we continually demonstrate a commitment to enhancing those relationships.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement.. We are competitively driven to achieve and maintain a position as the best energy supplier in the markets we operate, through the products and services we provide as well as the level of personal interaction we offer.
Ownership.. We embrace the concept of ownership and welcome the opportunity to accept every new challenge.
Safety.. We share a collective belief that ensuring the protection of our employees, our customers, our community and our environment is an inseparable component of everything we do.
Values
We lead according to Core Guiding Principles.
Trust.. We create trust by consistently acting with honesty, integrity and a commitment to a promise.
Accountability.. We will hold ourselves and each other accountable to ensure our team is successful through collaborative efforts, contributions and accomplishments.
Respect.. We are each responsible for acting respectful to one another, our customers and our communities, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Value of Relationship.. Whether with other members of our team, our customers or other stakeholders in Sail, we continually demonstrate a commitment to enhancing those relationships.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement.. We are competitively driven to achieve and maintain a position as the best energy supplier in the markets we operate, through the products and services we provide as well as the level of personal interaction we offer.
Ownership.. We embrace the concept of ownership and welcome the opportunity to accept every new challenge.
Safety.. We share a collective belief that ensuring the protection of our employees, our customers, our community and our environment is an inseparable component of everything we do.
Contact
At Sail Energy, our team is experienced in integrating companies and has developed a standard methodology to ensure all recently acquired companies are quickly and successfully integrated into the Sail portfolio.
Contact
At Sail Energy, our team is experienced in integrating companies and has developed a standard methodology to ensure all recently acquired companies are quickly and successfully integrated into the Sail portfolio.
Contact Us
Sail Energy LLC | 210 Commerce Way Suite 210 Portsmouth, NH 03801 | 844-301-7245