Mass. Company Buys Patten’s Gas
North Haverhill, N.H. — Massachusetts-based Osterman Propane is continuing its push into the Upper Valley with the purchase of Patten’s Gas, the propane supplier and appliance store on Brushwood Road.
The acquisition follows by a month Osterman’s purchase of Perry’s Oil Service in Bradford, Vt.
Terms for both deals were not disclosed.
“Basically an opportunity arose with Osterman buying Perry’s,” said Alvin Fadden, the former principal of Patten’s. “We’ve done business with Osterman’s for a number of years, hauling gas for them, so we chose to join forces.” Osterman officials did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Fadden said Patten’s nine employees are staying with the company and there shouldn’t be any changes noticeable to customers. “Our customers can expect the same service they have had forever,” Fadden said. “So they can call and ask for us just like they always have.”
Patten’s was founded in 1948 by Parke J. Patten. It originally sold farm supplies and equipment before becoming a distributor of bottled gas to heat homes and barn milking rooms. The company later shifted to propane, serving both the home and wholesale markets, eased out of selling farm equipment and expanded into selling home appliances.
Osterman Propane is owned by Tulsa, Okla.-based NGL Energy Partners.
John Lippman can be reached at jlippman@vnews.com or 603-727-3219.
