History

A franchise for a gas company in Bluefield was first granted in 1910 to a group of local businessmen that included some of the leading citizens in Bluefield. These included: C.W. Akers, G.T. Epling, P.J. McElrath, P.J. Kelly, J.M. Sanders, R.M. Garrett, W.J. Jenks, and Earl Riley. The first gas provided was manufactured from coal by Bluefield Gas and Power Company, which was officially organized in 1911.

During the early 1930s, the stock of the Company was purchased by Consolidated Electric and Gas of New York, a company that specialized in buying gas properties that were suffering from the hard economic times brought on by the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Consolidated Electric and Gas operated approximately 250 gas plants at the time, including Roanoke Gas. During the mid to late 1940s, holding companies like Consolidated Electric and Gas began to sell off their utility stock and relinquish control, as a result of Congress passing the Public Utility Holding Company Act.

In 1948, a group of local businessmen began discussions about the acquisition of Bluefield Gas and the conversion from manufactured gas to natural gas. Natural gas was available in Princeton and a pipeline was envisioned from Princeton to Bluefield. Prior to the pipeline, natural gas was manufactured at the gas plant located on Pulaski Street, near Bluefield State College, where it remained during all the years of its operation.

The Gas Company actually consisted of three different corporations: Bluefield Gas Company, serving the Bluefield, West Virginia territory; Commonwealth Public Service Company, serving the Bluefield, Virginia territory; and Gas Service, Inc. supplying propane gas and gas equipment sales and service in the greater Bluefield area.

The initial meeting of the incorporates of Gas Service was held at the offices of the newspaper, at the Daily Telegraph Building, on July 9, 1949. The initial board of directors consisted of Clyde E. Elliott, Hennon Gilbert, William Greenspon, Max Martz, Jim H. Shott, Hugh Shott, and Ned Shott. Original officers were: Clyde Elliott, President; Hennon Gilbert, Vice President; Hugh Shott, Vice President; Ned Shott, Secretary-Treasurer. C.W. (Bill) Faulkner was named General Manager and subsequently was named to the Board of Directors.

In 1955, there were 225,000 shares of common stock outstanding. By 1956, there were 247,620 shares outstanding and the overall business was in a greatly improved condition, including improvement in gas leaks and new customers being added monthly. The future was very bright.

The Company made stock available for purchase by its employees in 1963 at $1.30 per share. Steady growth continued and the Company enjoyed its best two-month revenues ever in January and February 1964. By 1966, dividends had grown to 10 cents per share and customer growth continued to be steady. Dividends remained at 10 cents per share in 1968 and continued each year through 1985, for 16 years in a row.

Unfortunately, Ned Shott suffered an untimely death in 1985, and Scott Shott was appointed to serve as President. The Company experienced a loss in 1985 and again in 1986, due to mild winter weather and the loss of several large commercial accounts. Dividends were suspended in 1986.

On June 30, 1986, the Board of Directors approved the Agreement and Plan of Merger that had been negotiated with Roanoke Gas Company. On March 23, 1987, a special meeting of the stockholders was called to vote on the merger, and it was unanimously approved. With this merger, Bluefield Gas became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roanoke Gas Company.

Both John Shott and Scott Shott continued to serve on the Bluefield Gas Board of Directors, along with senior officers of Roanoke Gas and some of its outside directors.

During the 1990’s, efficiency improvements were the key focus. A main renewal program was instituted, automated meter reading was installed, the billing and customer service systems were fully computerized and integrated with the Roanoke-based computer system, and a new office and operations facility was built. Steady customer growth was noted in both natural gas and propane gas, gas leaks were reduced and propane delivery efficiencies were improved. A new office and operations center was constructed in 1995 and the old gas-lighted sign was refurbished and relocated to the new building in 1997, where it was made operational as a tribute to a bygone era.

In the Fall of 2007, Bluefield Gas was purchased by Appalachian Natural Gas Distribution Company located in Abingdon, Virginia.