In September 1984, Ed Walker put an ad in the paper and started knocking on doors. His background was in wholesaling, so he figured he could wholesale oil. At the time he had a single oil truck and one employee who answered phones and did some administrative tasks. Today the company has 49 employees.

He opened his first office on State Street in Guilford. Back then, Walker did just about everything - from buying and selling the oil to delivering it personally - not to mention managing the company and trying to grow the business. The following year, 1985, he took on a partner, Donald Herzog, to develop the commercial side of the business. "He had prior experience selling to municipalities, government and commercial business," explains Walker. Commercial services include commercial tank installation and removal as well as full-service. (The company also installs and provides service for heating and cooling equipment.)
Herzog sold throughout the state opening new accounts, the largest being the state of Connecticut. East River Energy is now a major supplier to the state for all of its energy needs including heating oil, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, Jet-A fuel, hydraulic oils and other fuels. Walker added employees, drivers and trucks and moved more than few times as he outgrew the company's space. In 1995, he bought 4.5 acres at the end of Soundview Road in Guilford and erected a 9,400-square-foot brick office building with a separate building housing 17,000 feet of warehouse space.

Walker and Herzog soon established a transportation company, Soundview Transportation, to transport fuel for themselves and for other companies. "We also have the largest pool-water company in the state," says Walker, "F&N Elpat Poolwater." Today, the company has 25 oil trucks. "Our drivers are 12-month drivers; they just haul pool water in the summer," he explains.

Achievements & Accomplishments

Walker says he's proud to be what he considers "probably the largest supplier to the state of Connecticut on all fuels. That's a great feather in our cap," he says. " East River also supplies more than 80 percent of the 169 municipalities and boards of education in the state. We are very service-oriented."

Another of his proudest accomplishments, adds Walker, is "Every year we've been able to take care of our employees and give back to our communities that we all work and live in. That is important to us." The company also donates a portion of its profits to community-based nonprofit organizations in the towns that they serve - from heating oil for the needy to grants for scholarships, to the construction of playgrounds, to fundraisers for libraries and local police and fire departments and emergency services.

"We are happy to support the local communities and feel it is necessary to be socially responsible in the towns where we conduct business," explains Walker.

Looking Ahead

Walker says he's always looking at ways to grow the business in complementary directions. " We take on anything that comes our way. We never say no, that's how we've grown."
For example, Walker has been actively exploring fuel cells for the last several years, but hasn't yet decided whether to enter that business. "We're trying to also grow our retail services in Guilford, Branford, Madison - our major tri-town service areas - and become a major presence." That includes home heating oil, air-conditioning service and installation as well as pool water, he adds.

Taken from Business New Haven
Lisa Micali, writer