About
WE ARE RELIABLE PROPANE
Reliable Propane currently serves customers throughout the six counties of Western New York – Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming. Our team is highly skilled and experienced, and we’re dedicated to fulfilling the propane needs of customers and families across the greater Buffalo region.
We aim to make propane easy for you. Our team can handle every step of the process for you, from new above ground propane tank installation to checking your propane appliances to handling delivery and resupply. With flexible payments and our full propane grill tank service – including after-hours Honor Tanks – is easy to see how we live up to the name “Reliable Propane.”
A Brief History
Sid Albrecht returned to Harrison Radiator in Lockport, New York after serving in the Navy during WWII. After a friend recommended the propane business, he started with five customers in 1945 and worked nights delivering 100-pound propane cylinders from the trunk of his car. He quickly found it difficult to work both jobs and made the decision to leave Harrison’s and put all his efforts into the new propane business.
He and his wife operated the company out of their home in Clarence Center for many years. When his son, Ken, purchased the company in 1978, he converted from a cylinder exchange operation to focus primarily on residential and commercial bulk propane delivery. In 1995, we purchased Mel-Bro Heating which allowed us to expand the number of propane customers in southern Erie and Genesee counties.
Because we could not expand at our old location, we purchased property on County Road in Clarence Center and built a new office and storage facility in 2006. Today, Reliable Propane is proud to serve the six counties of Western New York.
We are always working to use technology and training to meet and exceed today’s strict environmental and safety standards for our customers and employees. We know people are concerned with creating and maintaining a warm and safe home. To provide peace of mind regardless of the weather, we monitor fuel levels in real time so that our customers and their families can do just that.
Our team members seek to uphold this mission each day by striving to be: friendly, flexible, team players, eager to learn & improve, and demonstrate a genuine desire to serve people.
Our Reliable Staff
Ken Albrecht
Ken Albrecht is the second generation owner of Reliable Propane. Since 1979, Ken has worked in the propane industry. His favorite part of work is trying new things in order to learn what works best for our customers. Ken and his wife, Donna, have four children and 15 wonderful grandchildren (two in heaven). In their free time, Ken and Donna enjoy spending time with their grandkids, including taking them fishing one at a time. Reading good books and writing are some of Ken’s favorite hobbies. He also enjoys the great outdoors, playing volleyball, golf and flying airplanes.
Dan Albrecht
dan@reliablepropane.com
General Manager
Dan loves interacting with customers and striving to “make their day.” Dan holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton College and a master’s degree in childhood education from the University at Buffalo. He plays volleyball, and also enjoys baseball, football, golf and skiing. Myrtle Beach is Dan’s favorite vacation spot. He likes to spend time with his family, his wife, Lydia, and their children – Findley, Addy, Nora and Danny.
Joan Anderson
office@reliablepropane.com
Front Desk Administrator
Joan looks forward to giving Reliable customers the best possible experience, whether on the phone or when you stop in the office. Beyond doing this in her role here, she lives this out in the passion she has for family, dogs, and adventure! She and her husband, Tom, enjoy serving in their church, river rafting, kayaking, bike riding, camping and spending time with their granddaughter, Allie Rose. Recently, Joan checked off a bucket list item and reached new heights sky diving!
Dylan Lang
Shop and Propane Delivery
Dylan loves to reflect on his work and try to improve it anyway he can, and he appreciates the family atmosphere that Reliable Propane has to offer. He loves spending time with his own family and black lab, Moose. When he’s not trying to make your home safe and warm he will most likely be hunting, fishing, golfing and enjoying all of what nature has to offer.
Bill Wilson
Service Manager
Bill enjoys seeking ways to advance his knowledge of propane technologies and working with customers to help ensure they have a warm, safe home. Growing up on a dairy farm fostered his skill and enjoyment of hard work and problem solving, which he draws from each day he comes to work. In his spare time, he also enjoys playing the guitar.
Ellie Mandich
office@reliablepropane.com
Administrative Manager
Ellie enjoys working with a great team and maintaining systems to help people enjoy the convenience of a safe, warm home. She loves being outside and going on adventures with her kids – Matthew, Evan, and Julia. She and her husband, David, have been married for over 15 years. Ellie’s favorite vacation spots are Virginia, Myrtle Beach, and really anywhere with sunshine! She has received a PHR Certification and her Bacheler’s degree in Business Management.
Ashley Petzoldt
Financial Analyst
Before entering the propane industry, Ashley worked in community relations, and was a claims service representative. She plays the guitar, violin and piano, and loves to sing! Photography and painting are also among her favorite hobbies. When not hard at work, she loves to spend time with her family, her husband, Jon, and their two young daughters, Lacey and Jovie. Ashley received a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Houghton College and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Ashley now works part-time from home to assume a full-time role of stay-at-home mom.
Pepper
Company Mascot
Officially, Pepper is Dan’s dog but really, she’s been adopted by the office. She is a black lab mix who enjoys lounging in the sun on the office sill to see when customers pull in so she can be the first to greet them. Several customers come in anticipation of seeing her & sharing treats, which she never turns down. She may not be knowledgeable about propane but she is especially good at boosting morale of customers & employees alike!
Marissa Jakubowski
Special Projects
Marissa feels fortunate to have been born right into the Reliable Team as one of the third generation of Albrechts. She enjoys keeping her siblings in line within the office as well as supporting the team with special projects involving data entry, enhancing office procedures & maintaining our social media platforms. When she’s not at the office, she is enjoying time with her family (husband, Nick, and children, Timothy & Abby) in Elma.
Reliable Propane
10140 County Road
Clarence Center, NY 14032
Phone: 716-741-3000
Toll-Free: 800-675-8553
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. to noon