HOME TO ALL ENERGY NEEDS
From emergency heating repairs to automatic fuel deliveries and rewiring projects, Townsend Energy is committed to optimizing its customers’ indoor comfort with prompt, professional service. Brookes Townsend, President, tells us more about the company’s family origins and plans for an expansive future
Writer: Lauren Kania | Project Manager: Ben Weaver
“Together, they built the solid foundations of a customer-centric business philosophy that still exists today.”
With Warren and Dorothy’s children eventually joining the company, the tight-knit family unit doubled the business between 1979 and 1983 while maintaining a focus on delivering the unparalleled customer service Townsend was reputed for.
The company continued its steady progression through the decades, first acquiring Woodbury Fuel in 1983 and now boasting over 35 additional energy firms under its umbrella.
From the late 1990s through to today, Townsend has diversified its product offerings to include propane, electricity, generators, diesel, commercial natural gas, and energy audits, transforming it into a true fullservice energy provider.
Currently, Townsend proudly
“OUR STRATEGIC PRINCIPLE IS TO EXCEED CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS THE FIRST TIME –AND EVERY TIME!”
– BROOKES TOWNSEND, PRESIDENT, TOWNSEND ENERGY
boasts over 30,000 customers across various businesses and is on a mission to transform the quality of life in communities through a legendary service experience known as ‘The Townsend Way’.
THE TOWNSEND WAY
As part of the Townsend family tree, Brookes has had an entrepreneurial spirit instilled in him since childhood.
Having earned degrees from George Washington University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he founded both a bagel and
coffee chain as well as a technology start-up in and around the baseball recruiting space, selling each before transitioning to help lead Townsend and continue its lasting legacy.
Today, Brookes views the energy sector as a place of constant advancement and excitement, with tremendous amounts of consolidation ongoing.
“The industry has meant so much to my family, and I have nothing but admiration and appreciation for it. The work we do may not be glamorous, but it is necessary, and we take pride
in what we do,” Brookes highlights.
Townsend’s current priority is to find new and improved ways to provide for and service its existing client base.
“Our customer service is a huge differentiator in the energy and home services space. The goal is to scale while maintaining the ‘white glove service’ we try to provide every day to our customers,” he specifies.
Equally as important are the company’s strong relationships with its partners and suppliers, which Townsend has worked hard to foster over the years.
As a result, the company is confident it can obtain products as and when needed – even if there is a shortage – due to the reliable and mutually beneficial connections it has formed.
NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK: WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT WORKING AT TOWNSEND?
Brookes Townsend, President:
“I really want to highlight my appreciation for the industry, my family, the team we have, and how we are built to grow. I truly enjoy the people I work with and am motivated and humbled to be in the position I am in.
“I wake up every day motivated to take care of our customers, take care of our team members, take care of the company, and be AWESOME!”
“My dad is the one who deserves all the credit for this, and it is a great lesson for myself and my brother on the importance of building and maintaining relationships,” details Brookes.
A FAMILY BUSINESS
Having been family-owned and operated since its inception, Townsend’s intimate origins manifest in the day-to-day operations and interactions that take place throughout the company.
“I am extremely lucky and grateful to be able to go to work every single day with my brother and dad. I say every single day because a family business is not just Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm – we live and breathe it 24/7.
“Fortunately, the company is at a size where we can skate our own lanes and have our ownership areas while working collaboratively day in, day out,” Brookes informs us.
Townsend has utilized the camaraderie forged across four generations to become recognized and respected as one of the larger
TOWNSEND ENERGY’S CORE VALUES
• Integrity – The company lives by a rock-solid code of ethics that embodies honesty, decency, and fairness.
• Safety – Personal well-being is paramount to Townsend, whose actions protect and preserve people, property, and the environment.
• Customer-Centric – The company honors its commitment to customers by working tirelessly to demonstrate its dedication to them. Townsend is inspired by the real improvement its actions make in customers’ lives.
• Team – Townsend respects the individuality of team members, who count on each other when it matters most, creating an unfiltered rhythm of open dialogue.
• Community – Townsend recognizes that it belongs to an intimate network of people whose lives are impacted by what it does.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit – The company boldly carves out certain success in uncertain times by harnessing the collective creativity, innovation, and passion of its family of team members. The next great idea can spring up at any time from anyone.
• Innovation – Townsend pushes for better ways to serve its customers, employees, and the organization. It thinks outside the box to develop unique solutions to complex challenges.
and more progressive familyoperated energy marketers in New England, proud to service residential and commercial customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
With highly trained, skilled, and motivated employees, the company is prepared and excited to face the challenges and fast-paced business environment of the new millennium head-on, keeping an eye on delivering outstanding customer service – the backbone of Townsend for over nine decades.
Equally, the company is committed to growing through product diversification and acquisitions in the upcoming years.
“We have built up a strong, loyal customer base and we want to find ways to provide more services to them in the most frictionless way possible,” insights Brookes.
Townsend recently acquired The
connkavanaugh.com
Fuel Company – an energy and home services business on Cape Cod – in February 2025, as well as a minority stake in AA Propane in Missouri.
These investments showcase the company’s desire to grow its geographical footprint and serve even more customers across the US.
SOLID FOUNDATIONS
As Townsend continues to look toward the future of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical, and fuel delivery services, it is also embarking upon other key investments including a new training center, updated departmental training, and fuel terminals.
“These investments are all about building the offerings, bringing in the talent, and spreading the word through our marketing channels,” details Brookes.
“We have a base we can begin marketing to and are very close to
launching full-service plumbing and electrical services to our customers.”
Equally as crucial are Townsend’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, as the company prioritizes giving back to the community and encouraging environmental conservation.
Throughout the years, it has highlighted making a difference in surrounding communities having now become one of the area’s most philanthropic family-owned companies.
Recognizing the need for environmental conservation in the 21st century and beyond, Townsend has committed to serving as a role model for environmental change and making energy conservation and education about global warming a cornerstone of its corporate mission.
The company inspires homeowners to embrace energy conservation measures that reduce their carbon
footprints by injecting a new focus into Townsend – to motivate a cross-generational change in energy consumption behaviors at grassroots level, furthering its long-standing reputation for success and innovation.
“Reputation is a responsibility to our family and at the forefront of everything we do. It’s something I remind myself of regularly and, along with our core values, is a guiding beacon for a lot of the decisions we make,” Brookes proudly concludes.