Caring for its employees and quality customer service was at the heart of Loyal Gas for its 30-year existence. Those two aspects of the business remained until Loyal Gas’ final day of operation on Oct. 31, 2023.
Co-owners Mark Allen and Alton Mason described the last day as bittersweet.
“We spent a lot of time there growing the business and working with a lot of nice people in the community that we really enjoyed working with,” Mason said. “And all of our coworkers, that was not the end of our relationship with them, but it was definitely separating, because we’re not going to see them every day. We’ve been with them for many years.”
Loyal Gas was a family business in many regards.
Allen’s stepdad, Jerry Loyd and mom, Sara Allen first opened the store in 1993. To help name the business, the couple combined parts of their last names to form Loyal.
Mason recognized the significance Loyd and Sara had on the early stages of the business.
“She worked there from the beginning,” Mason said. “Every day she was a bigger part than anybody in that business. It wasn’t like her husband’s business, it was her and him together running it day-to-day.”
In 2003, Loyd and Sara decided to sell it to Allen and Mason, who are also brothers in law with Mason being married to Allen’s sister.
The pair picked up the business and continued it forward for the past 20 years. Over that time, not only were Mason and Allen family, but they felt like family with their staff.
“So the employees there…I played ball with them,” Allen said. “I lived on this side of the street and they lived on that side of the street. That’s how close knit we were.”
All of Loyal Gas’ services stemmed from gas, Allen said. Whether it was a gas clothes dryer, generator or water heater, Loyal Gas worked on it.
Allen also mentioned that Loyal Gas doubled in size under his and Mason’s leadership. To help accomplish that, Allen and Mason always stressed the importance of quality service.
“We would always tell our employees, ‘Anybody can sell you gas, but can they give you service?’” Allen said. “It’s one thing for a man to have a contract with you to say, ‘I’ll sell you gas for 50 cents a gallon,’ but you gotta get him to bring you that gas for 50 cents a gallon, too. Through the years, people found out there are different situations out there, but who’s going to come through for us? And that’s what we tried to do.”
By offering such customer service, Allen and Mason felt a close bond with their clients.
“We know so many of our customers not personally like friendship and all but, when they walked in the door, we knew them,” Allen said. “You see those people and get to know them and get to know their families. We always reached out to do what we could do. Always.”
Consideration for their customers and employees did not escape Allen and Mason either when they decided to sell the company.
After a few other businesses displayed interest in purchasing Loyal Gas, the co-owners ultimately decided to sell to Blossman Gas & Appliance, which opened on Nov. 1, 2023.
Blossman Gas originated in Ocean Springs, Mississippi in 1951. Today, it is the eighth largest propane company and the fifth largest independent propane company in the United States, according to LPGas’ official website.
More importantly for Allen and Mason, they believe Blossman Gas is “customer-oriented.”
In a statement to The Covington News, Blossman Gas’ president and CEO Stuart Weidie shared the same sentiment.
“Blossman Gas is pleased that after many years of growing an exemplary business, we are who Loyal Gas chose to entrust their business to,” Weidle said. “We will continue to honor their tradition of exceptional propane service in the Covington area.”
The business will remain located at 11237 Hwy 36 in Covington.
Now, after investing 20 years in building Loyal Gas up, Allen and Mason aim to “slow down and enjoy life.”
Allen plans to travel, “fool with some guns” and “tinker a little bit” with his son’s motorcycles that he used to race. He also has a grandson who is three-and-a-half years old and Allen plans to spend time with him.
On the other hand, Mason wants to do yard work, ride on the boat and just maintain a “slower pace.”
No matter what the future holds, Allen and Mason are positive that Blossman Gas & Appliance will take care of Loyal Gas’ customers and employees.
“That was one of our concerns when we went to sell the business. We wanted to make sure that all of our coworkers were taken care of,” Mason said. “When we started, we had a few companies that were interested, but we felt like Blossom was the best company as far as taking care of our coworkers and taking care of our customers. So that’s why we started negotiations and wound up staying with them.”