McDonald & Hill Propane Gas

Buy Local, Support Small

“Robert Hill, Sr., my grandfather, recently celebrated his 101st birthday. He is retired now and living at Aldersgate, but I can call him today and ask about an account and he can tell me exactly where to look in the file,” says Ben Hill of McDonald & Hill Propane Gas. “He and the rest of us are proud of the fact that this business has been owned and operated by three generations. To have supported our family and all the people who have worked for us over the years, is really an accomplishment.”

“In 1955, my grandfather along with two other partners started the business. They all three had previously worked for a company similar to ours. They decided they wanted to start their own company and named it McDonald, Peoples, and Hill. Shortly after, it became McDonald & Hill and has been that way ever since. The McDonald side was bought out in 1973, and the Hill family has been the sole owner since then. As the first generation, original owner, my grandfather didn’t want to change the name and so it stayed, McDonald & Hill. The second generation, brothers Bob Jr. (dec.), George, Jerry and Harold, and the third generation, cousins Ben and Jace, have continued working together. Over the years we have grown and adapted to change. In the 70’s and 80’s, we bought a business in Quitman and opened an office in Newton, adding additional locations.”

 

 

Their business today is primarily propane gas. If you have a tank at your house, they will come fill it up. Propane’s main uses include home and water heating, cooking and refrigerating food, clothes drying, and powering farm and industrial equipment. They also service and sell water heaters, from tank to tankless. Gas fireplaces and gas light; anything at your residence that connects to propane, they can manage. A lot of people come to the company to fill up, but they also have accounts where they go to the business once a week and fill tanks or swap out bottles.  McDonald & Hill also drills water wells.  It’s not a big part of the company anymore, but it helped build the business when they started, because most places didn’t have community water.

“We love having our business in Meridian. The community supports local people so well. The connectedness and the environment are important. We are a small business, we really try to push support for local businesses, and we believe it’s truly important to support one another. We live in this community and we know if you don’t treat people the right way, your reputation will suffer,” adds Ben. “We belong to the chamber because it’s the right thing to do. It tells people you are invested in the community and not just in yourself. It’s an easy, small way of saying, I’m trying to help my community prosper.”

McDonald & Hill employs 18 people servicing six counties. The longest standing employee, Steve Hardin, has been with the company 44 years. He will go out to deliver propane and come back with cakes, casseroles, etc., from his customers. During the busy ice storm, McDonald & Hill provided same day service for a customer and she brought biscuits and donuts to the office saying she could not thank them enough for what they had done. Customers are the greatest advertisers for any business.  McDonald & Hill Propane Gas.

McDonald & Hill Propane Gas
1020 Grand Ave., Meridian, MS