When you first visit the Gault Family Companies’ website, the first few words you see are simple yet profound: You first. Our philosophy since 1863.
For more than 160 years and six generations, the Gault family has been putting their customers first in Fairfield County, Connecticut, as the family continues to operate one of the longest running businesses in Westport today.
“We’ve been doing this for so long and our customers mean everything to us,” said Sam Gault, president of the Gault Family Companies. “When a customer calls, we jump, and it doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is. That’s really what we’re all about, 24/7 customer service.”
As an integral part of their community, Gault said it’s always a priority to give back and evolve with the times.
“It’s always been the situation where we’ve always listened to our customers. Our customers have continuously driven us into different diversifications within the energy business,” Gault said during the taping of the latest episode of the podcast Mission Possible: Delivering Cleaner, Greener Fuels Today.
Gault explained in the podcast how throughout the generations of his family business, his company has evolved from coal, to heating fuels, to BioHeat® and added propane, generators, and HVAC. They are also in the real estate development industry and the stone business. One of the most significant ways the company has changed is through the kind of home heating fuel the company delivers.
“We are delivering a very clean fuel. It’s cleaner than it’s ever been. It’s a very low sulfur content mixed with renewable biodiesel,” Gault said. “The fuel we are delivering now is way different even than it was even 15 years ago. The sulfur content was much higher without any bio component. We have really come a long way. It’s just another reason why we need to be at the table as part of the solution to a green energy future.”
As the state of Connecticut moves towards electrifying its economy, with a push to encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles and electric heat pumps, Gault said the state’s home heating fuel industry has earned its place in a future energy plan.
“The government thinks we are fuel of the past, but we are not. We are really a fuel of the present and the future. Electrifying everything is not a viable solution. Let the consumer decide what is best,” Gault said.
The customer service provided by the home heating fuel industry, Gault said, is second to none.
“We are focused on the customer. You call us anytime, we’ll be there. I don’t think you can say the say about big utility companies,” he added.
Gault shared the story of one of his employees who stopped to help a woman having car problems on I-95 during rush hour. This woman was not a customer, just someone his driver felt compelled to help.
“He actually jacked the car up, and changed the tire for the woman,” Gault said. “The woman could not believe that a Gault guy just randomly stopped on I-95 in a traffic jam to help her out. That’s the kind of people we have working in our company and in the industry. They go above and beyond.”
In total, the Gault Family Companies support more than 70 charitable organizations in their communities.
“We have a long-standing of giving back. We are proud to support those in the communities we serve,” Gault added.
You can hear Gault’s entire interview in episode 3 of Mission Possible: Delivering Cleaner, Greener Fuels Today on most podcast hosting platforms including Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and you can watch it on YouTube.
Show notes:
Mission Possible: Delivering Cleaner Fuel Today highlights our members and how their businesses have changed over the years by delivering cleaner, greener fuel. We also talk about federal and state electrification efforts, the good work our members do for their communities, and how they care about their customers. CEMA stands for Connecticut Energy Marketers Association. We represent 600 family-owned heating fuel companies throughout the state and region. Our guest today is Sam Gault with Gault Family Companies offering energy and home solutions in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The show is hosted by Shelly Sindland, CEMA’s director of communications.
#MissionPossibleCEMA #BetterWithBiodiesel #BioHeatFuel #Connecticut #cleanenergy