Reliable Energy Partners

What Reliable Energy Partners does

Reliable Energy Partners is a private, PE-backed propane distribution platform formed in November 2025 by Soundcore Capital Partners through an initial investment in Florida Lift Gas, with Sean Daugherty appointed as CEO. Headquartered in Valrico, Florida, the company is built around acquiring and operating regional propane distributors across the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions, currently comprising five wholly-owned brands: Florida Lift Gas, Nashville Propane Exchange (Tennessee), Gateway Propane (St. Louis/Midwest), Economy Propane (Maryland/Mid-Atlantic), and Irvington Gas (Kentucky). Together these operations deliver propane to residential and commercial customers across six states, including industrial and commercial clients served through Gateway Propane.

Name

Reliable Energy Partners

Legal name

Reliable Energy Partners

Website

https://reliable-ep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Reliable Energy Partners is a PE-backed roll-up platform that acquires and operates regional propane distributors across the U.S., serving residential and commercial customers through five retained-brand subsidiaries while preserving seller legacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Propane Distribution Services

NAICS

Fuel Dealers (457210)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural Gas Retail Supplier (Competitive) Marketing & Sales (EUAAADAB)

Keywords

• Propane distribution services
• Bulk propane supply
• Residential propane delivery
• Commercial propane supply
• Propane business acquisitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Propane Distribution: Reliable Energy Partners generates revenue through the acquisition and operation of propane distribution businesses. The company acquires bulk propane distributors, serving residential and commercial customers, and operates them as part of a multi-regional platform. Revenue comes from propane sales and distribution services to end customers across acquired operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reliable Energy Partners acquires and operates bulk and retail propane distribution businesses across the United States, building a multi-regional platform of residential, commercial, and industrial propane providers. The company partners with owner-operators to provide three transition pathways (Immediate Exit, Short-Term Transition, and Long-Term Leadership), preserves acquired brand identities, and continues to serve end customers through the retained local brands across six states.

Product overview

Reliable Energy Partners operates as a multi-regional propane distribution platform that acquires and partners with propane business owners. The company offers three distinct transition options for sellers: Immediate Exit, Short-Term Transition, and Long-Term Leadership. The platform currently comprises five acquired propane brands: Florida Lift Gas (founding acquisition), Nashville Propane Exchange (Tennessee), Gateway Propane (St. Louis/Midwest), Economy Propane (Maryland/Mid-Atlantic), and Irvington Gas (Kentucky). The portfolio serves residential and commercial customers across six states in the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. The company is backed by private equity firm Soundcore Capital Partners and focuses on preserving legacy, retaining employees, and maintaining customer relationships during transitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Propane Business Transition Services Comprehensive transition support for propane business owners, including strategic exit planning, values-based acquisitions, long-term operational support, and leadership and employee retention programs, structured as either an Immediate Exit, a Short-Term Transition, or a Long-Term Leadership arrangement.
• Florida Lift Gas Propane distribution services operated under the retained Florida Lift Gas brand, serving residential and commercial propane customers through the acquired local operations that became the foundation of the Reliable platform.
• Nashville Propane Exchange Propane distribution services operated under the retained Nashville Propane Exchange brand from La Vergne, Tennessee, serving residential and commercial customers in the high-potential Southeast market.
• Gateway Propane Propane distribution services operated under the retained Gateway Propane brand in the St. Louis metropolitan area, focused on industrial and commercial propane clients in the Midwest region.
• Economy Propane Bulk propane distribution services operated under the retained Economy Propane brand from Baltimore, Maryland, serving customers across the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Irvington Gas Bulk propane distribution services operated under the retained Irvington Gas brand from Irvington, Kentucky, serving residential and commercial customers across nine counties around the Louisville metropolitan area as a third-generation Kasey family business.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Suburban Propane Partners: One of the largest U.S. retail propane distributors, serving over one million residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across 41 states. Comparable to Reliable as a broad incumbent in the same propane retail distribution category, but with far greater scale and a public-market cost of capital.
• Ferrellgas Partners: Public retail propane distributor serving approximately one million customers across all 50 states, including Blue Rhino exchange business. Comparable to Reliable in customer base and product, but with national footprint, M&A history, and substantially greater scale.
• UGI Corporation: Public holding company whose subsidiaries include AmeriGas (propane) and UGI Utilities (natural gas). Relevant to Reliable as a parent-of-incumbent operating model — particularly for valuation framework — since UGI's propane segment offers the closest scaled, public-market comparable for a multi-regional propane roll-up.
• AmeriGas Propane (UGI Corporation subsidiary): AmeriGas is the largest U.S. propane distributor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UGI Corporation. Directly comparable to Reliable in serving residential and commercial propane customers, but at national scale and with significantly greater back-office, fleet, and procurement resources.
• SHV Holdings (Primus Gas): Dutch family-owned conglomerate with significant LPG/propane distribution operations globally through subsidiaries. Comparable to Reliable as a long-horizon owner of propane distribution assets, though operating globally and at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Eastern Propane (Heritage Propane): Regional retail propane distributor serving residential and commercial customers across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable to Reliable on geography, customer mix, and distribution model, with a similar mix of acquired legacy operators.
• Paraco Gas: Family-founded, privately held propane distributor serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Closely comparable to Reliable as a multi-regional, growth-oriented propane distributor pursuing acquisitions and serving overlapping geographies (Mid-Atlantic, Northeast).
• Blossman Gas: Family-owned propane and appliance distributor serving customers across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable to Reliable in customer base, geography, and legacy family-business positioning, with similar mix of residential and commercial accounts.
• ThompsonGas: Privately held, family-owned propane distributor serving residential and commercial customers across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Direct comparable to Reliable on geography, customer mix, and growth-by-acquisition strategy; also the previous employer of Reliable's COO and VP of Operations.

Others

• Soundcore Capital Partners: Private equity firm that formed and backs Reliable Energy Partners. Relevant as the platform's sponsor and as a comparator for other PE-backed service-company roll-up strategies, though not a direct propane peer itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reliable-energy-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reliable Energy Partners