Running out of propane on a cold night can leave a family wondering how they will keep their home warm until morning. At any time of year, someone else may need it to keep a refrigerator running, water hot or a stove working. When an urgent need arises, they can call Schmucker’s LP Gas at any hour. Mike Klotz answers those calls and heads out with a delivery.
That kind of service is part of life for Mike and his wife, Carla, who run the family business on U.S. Highway 6 in Nappanee. From their location there, Mike and other drivers deliver propane to homes, businesses and farms. A timely delivery matters especially during corn harvest and on cold winter days when temperatures fall and furnaces work harder. Schmucker’s began in 1946 under founder Reuben Schmucker. In its early years, the business supplied 100-pound LP gas bottles for cooking stoves and refrigerators. Reuben’s daughter, MaryLou Truex, and her husband, Junior, later joined him. The property also had gasoline pumps, a service garage, a meat market, a candy counter and a store stocked with everyday necessities. The Klotz family recalls that, for a few years in the 1950s, visitors could also stop by for a hot dog and root beer and watch a boxing match at an outdoor boxing ring behind the store.
As the years passed, propane became the focus. The gas pumps and grocery store closed in 1995. By then, the business had grown to five propane delivery routes, and more storage was added to keep up with demand.
Mike’s father, Keith Klotz, worked for the Schmucker family part time for eight years before he stopped farming and joined the business full time in 1983. When MaryLou’s husband, Junior, and her father, Reuben, died within the same year, MaryLou faced a difficult decision. She knew she could not run the business alone and asked Keith to manage it, telling him that if he did not want to take it on, she would sell it.
Their relationship grew well beyond that of employer and employee. According to Mike and Carla, MaryLou regarded Keith much as she would a son, and Mike remembers her as a grandmotherly presence in his and his family’s life. When she died in 2008, she left the business to Keith, entrusting it to the man who had helped her keep it going for so many years.
Mike then became part of its next chapter. He joined the business straight out of high school in 1993 and later earned the qualifications to drive a propane truck. Carla joined him in the office in 2008. When Keith retired in July 2017, Mike and Carla took over daily operations. Keith and Ronda, Mike’s parents, remain part owners, and Keith still lends a hand when additional service work needs to be done.
Today, Carla handles office work, permits and customer service, while Mike makes deliveries, works with customers and performs service work. Their cousin Brandon Stutzman, who joined the business right out of high school and has now been there for 24 years, also drives and handles service calls. With three full-time workers, each person’s willingness to step in makes a difference on a busy day.
“We are family,” Mike says. “So if somebody needs to take off, somebody steps up, and if somebody needs help with something, you just step up, and you do it. That’s what family does.”
If you see a red-and-white Schmucker’s truck on the road, it may be headed toward a home that needs heat, a farm in the middle of corn harvest, or a farm that needs heat for its animals. Farmers use propane to run dryers that reduce the moisture in freshly harvested corn before it goes to the mill. As loads come in from the fields, those dryers use a great deal of fuel in a short time. Harvest is one of Schmucker’s busiest seasons, even before the coldest weather arrives.
The company delivers propane in bulk to tanks at homes, farms and businesses. Customers can also bring cylinders to the Nappanee location for refilling, from small five-pound bottles to 100-pound tanks. A grill owner might bring in a cylinder before a weekend cookout, while someone with a motor home can bring the vehicle in to have its built-in tank filled. Schmucker’s also sells tanks ranging from five to 100 pounds for customers who need a new one.
For home heating customers, Mike and Carla offer an automatic-fill option. It eliminates the task of checking the gauge and calling to schedule a delivery, giving customers one less thing to worry about.
Schmucker’s can also place digital monitors on some tanks that use a great deal of propane. Each morning, an email brings the tank readings to the business, helping them determine when those customers will need more fuel. Customers who prefer to monitor their own tanks can always call the office to arrange a delivery. Mike recommends arranging a fill before cold weather arrives, when demand rises, and keeping in mind that ice and snow can slow delivery times.
How long a delivery lasts depends partly on the home. Mike says a well-insulated newer house may go eight to 12 weeks between fills, while an older farmhouse might need propane again in about four weeks.
Knowing a home’s usual rate of use helps Mike and Carla plan deliveries. It also helps customers who order their own propane judge when to call, especially as temperatures change.
Planning ahead helps, but unexpected needs still arise. Mike recalls a single mother whose regular supplier could not reach her during a period of extreme cold. Schmucker’s delivered propane to her home so her family could stay warm and her pipes would not freeze. She later became a regular customer and recently stopped by the office, where she recalled that day and the help she received.
The Klotz family’s concern for safety extends beyond their own customers. They train and assist local fire departments when a propane tank is damaged or another propane concern arises, sometimes offering guidance even when the tank belongs to a different supplier. Their safety work starts long before an emergency call, though. When setting a tank at a home, they show the homeowner where the valves are and how to shut off the gas flow in an emergency. They also explain how to protect the gas line while mowing and provide safety brochures to read. Schmucker’s also offers combination propane and carbon monoxide detectors for homes.
The Klotz family’s ties to the community reach beyond propane deliveries. They support local schools, youth sports, 4-H and local events across their service area. In recent years, their contributions have helped make admission to NorthWood High School games free for students. They have also supported Special Olympics activities.
Over the last 80 years, the storefront and services offered by Schmucker’s LP Gas may have changed, but the care MaryLou showed Keith lives on in the way his family works together and serves its neighbors. The root beer stand, grocery store and gasoline pumps are gone, but the Klotz family’s commitment to helping people remains as strong as ever. Whether the day brings a rush of harvest deliveries or a call from a household that needs heat, Mike, Carla and Brandon know someone is counting on them. They are there to answer the call.
Schmucker’s LP Gas is located at 890 U.S. Highway 6 in Nappanee. For service, information or emergencies, call 574-773-3214. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with emergency service available at any time.
