LP Gas Hall of Fame Inductee – Class of 2023
Tom Jaenicke’s path in propane is well-worn and his depth of experience in all facets of the industry well-earned. He began his propane career manning the bottle dock for Fuelgas, a private propane operation in Michigan. He drove bobtails and cylinder trucks, installed tanks and piping systems, and serviced furnaces and boilers. He became a branch manager, area manager, and eventually led marketing and advertising at company headquarters in Flint.
Over the course of his career, Jaenicke cultivated a passion for propane appliances and their gallon-growth potential. That passion would lead him to establish a wholesale equipment distribution company that specialized in gas space heating and water heating equipment, hearth products, kitchen and laundry appliances and outdoor grills.
All the while, he moved through various positions in retail propane management, including vice president of operations and vice president of sales and marketing for Ferrellgas.
In 2005, after more than three decades of experience in the retail propane business, Jaenicke started his own energy consulting company, ATomiK Creative Solutions.
His exceptional dedication to volunteerism meant Jaenicke was involved in notable national initiatives. He chaired the Propane Education & Research Council’s first consumer education advisory committee, which formed the “Energy Guys” marketing campaign. He served on the National Propane Gas Association’s board of directors and its executive committee, in addition to chairing its convention and governmental affairs committees and the services section.
Nancy Coop, LP Gas Hall of Famer and founding chair of the Women in Propane Council, credits Jaenicke for first proposing the idea of a women’s business council for the propane industry.
Today, Jaenicke continues to serve as a trusted adviser in the areas of marketing, technical subjects, business development and succession planning through his affiliations with Warm Thoughts Communications, Blue Peak Resources and the Renewable Propane Alliance.
A subject matter expert on energy efficiency, economics and sustainable energy, he writes for a range of energy industry publications, including LP Gas.
Jaenicke, 74, lives in Charlevoix, Michigan.