Above, left to right: Shane Casey doing the honors at the 2018 RVNAhealth Guest Bartender Night at Gallo Ristorante; Linda Queenan of Casey Energy; Suzanne Casey, at the 2019 Autumn Dinner, recounting her first-hand experience receiving care from RVNAhealth
This month, we checked in with Shane Casey, President, and Linda Queenan, VP Sales and Marketing, at Casey Energy, longtime friends and supporters of RVNAhealth.
Q: Tell us about Casey Energy.
My grandfather, Bill Casey, started Casey Energy out of his garage in 1949 with one oil truck. He was known to stop at houses where new homeowners were moving in and offer to help. As he helped move couches, he would explain who he was and usually wind up with their oil business!
My father ran Casey Fuel from the mid-1970s until 2006, when I took over the reins. Since then, we have added full HVAC services, propane sales and service, and generator sales and service. We also rebranded as Casey Energy to reflect our expanded services and added our tagline All Season Comfort.
Q: What brought you personally to this business? What are your professional backgrounds?
My father always encouraged me to spread my wings and check out other parts of the country and other industries before joining the family business. This strategy led me to college in Colorado, followed by a few positions at a software company in lower-Fairfield County. After a second stint in Denver for graduate school, I returned to the family business in 2002.
Q: How big is your team?
We have roughly 30 employees—and are growing!!
Q: Where do you serve?
The majority of our business is within a twenty-mile radius of the center of Ridgefield and includes towns in both Westchester and Fairfield counties.
Q: What is your business/customer service philosophy?
Above all, our business philosophy is “Do the Right Thing!” Whether in a customer’s basement, on the phone, or delivering product, our employees all know that, at the end of the day, we do the right thing (sometimes to a fault!!).
Moreover, as a 3rd generation family business, we treat employees like family, and expect our employees to treat our customers the same way.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your business?
We were designated as an essential business as soon as the quarantine took effect in late March, so we never stopped delivering fuel. Our Service Department scaled back to provide emergency work only (no preventative maintenance) until early June, when we cautiously transitioned into air conditioning season. We continue to practice extreme caution when in customers’ homes, minimizing contact as much as possible and utilizing PPE.
Q: What type of services do you provide? What is one service that people don’t really know or are surprised you offer?
Casey Energy has been selling heating oil for nearly 75 years and servicing oil-fired equipment for 60 years. We began offering air conditioning service about 20 years ago, a line of business that continues to grow. We started Casey Propane, a division of Casey Energy, 13 years ago, and quickly added generator sales and service as well. Hence, our tagline, All Season Comfort!
Q: Any trends consumers should be aware of?
With so many people working remotely, we have been busier than ever with everything from fireplace inserts, to gas grills, to generators, and pool heaters. People are spending more time at home and they want to be comfortable. We are happy to make that happen!
Q: How did you first meet RVNAhealth?
My father brought me to RVNAhealth’s Autumn Dinner in 2005 and I’ve been attending the annual Autumn Dinner and Spring Breakfast events ever since then.
Q: How has the relationship evolved and what are the key elements of Casey Energy’s relationship with RVNAhealth?
Casey Energy has partnered with RVNAhealth for years to provide flu shots to our staff. As I mentioned previously, I’ve also been a regular attendee at both the Autumn Dinner and Spring Breakfast. My wife, Suzanne, has been an active volunteer on these event committees as well. We always saw the benefits of having the organization in our community. However, a little over a year ago, our relationship with the agency evolved in a very big way.
My wife, Suzanne, became seriously ill after being bitten by a brown recluse spider carrying what is commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.” It was a really challenging time that included long hospitals stays and multiple surgeries. When it was time to come home, we connected with RVNAhealth and they provided her with an exceptional team of specialized nurses who helped care for her wound. I know we were both grateful for the care Suzanne received. We really couldn’t truly understand the impact RVNAhealth had on families in our community until we were one of them.
(Note from RVNAhealth: If Suzanne Casey’s story sounds familiar it very well might be… she shared her experience with RVNAhealth at our 2019 Autumn Dinner, as well as in our 2019 Annual Appeal.)
