A firsthand look at the early days of the family business that would become Delta Liquid Energy
Before Delta Liquid Energy became the company customers know today, it began as a small family business in Atascadero during the Great Depression.
In a written reflection titled The Beginning of San Luis Butane as Remembered by a 10-Year-Old, Frank Platz shared memories from the earliest days of the company, offering a personal look at how the family business began, grew, and eventually became Delta Liquid Energy.
Looking for a Practical Energy Solution
According to Frank, the beginning of the business took shape sometime between 1935 and 1938, during the middle of the Great Depression. His father, Harry Platz, was working as an independent insurance adjuster and taking on odd jobs whenever they came up.
At the time, natural gas was not available in the family’s neighborhood and was only available in the downtown area. Butane offered an alternative energy source for homes outside the reach of natural gas service.
Frank remembered that butane was being sold at the time as Flamo by Standard Oil of California oil jobbers and as Shellane by Shell Oil jobbers. These were sold as 100-pound exchange cylinders and were still relatively expensive.
A man named Larry Bowles had started bulk delivery of butane in Cayucos, and Harry became one of his customers. The Platz family soon had a small tank of their own, along with a hot water heater that could be turned on to heat the water and then shut off once the tank was hot.
The First Resale Tank
As Frank remembered it, the family soon had a resale tank in the front yard and became a sub-dealer for Mr. Bowles. Because this was the very beginning of the business, Frank noted that the exact date of the first sale is impossible to determine. There was no business license involved at the time and no paperwork survived.
The early setup was simple. The resale tank was a 500-gallon tank mounted about three feet high, with no pump or meter. Tanks were filled by gravity and pressure differential, and the charge was based on the size of the tank being filled, regardless of how much was already in it.
It was a very different kind of propane business than the one customers know today.
One Old Delivery Truck
Eventually, Harry and Mr. Bowles had an argument of some sort. Looking back, Frank believed it was probably about money, because Harry wound up losing his car. But Harry must have seen something in the business.
With help from an old friend, he purchased an old delivery truck. Frank remembered it as a 1,000-gallon tank mounted on a 1920-something truck that had been converted from solid wheels to regular tires.
As a child, Frank sometimes rode along on deliveries. He remembered having to back up certain driveways because the truck did not have enough power in the forward gears.
Around 1940, the family was able to replace the truck with a 1938 Dodge chassis, which Frank called a big improvement. Even then, the truck still did not have a pump or meter. Deliveries were still made by pressure differential, and amounts were determined by rotary percentage gauges.
A hand pump was later added, helping speed up deliveries. Frank remembered being allowed to help with the pump as a kid. Later, a power takeoff pump and meter were added when the weights and measures department eventually became involved.
Iva Platz and Sons
Harry Platz passed away in early 1941, leaving Iva with three children and no visible way to make a living. Frank believed the business was still too small at that point to be the sole support for the family, but with help from a loan from an old family friend and support from a brother-in-law, Iva was able to keep things going.
Additional help came with the construction of Camp Roberts. With support from her oil company supplier, Iva obtained a contract to supply butane for the construction and early development of the camp. That contract provided important cash flow for further development of the company.
Delivering fuel during that period was not simple. Frank remembered the truck driving to Avenal, where the gas was processed, then back to Camp Roberts to deliver to a series of 250-gallon tanks, then back to Avenal again to load fuel for regular customers.
At the time, Cottonwood Pass, now Highway 41, was not much of a road and was frequently washed out, which required using Highway 33 instead.
During this period, the company used the name Iva Platz and Sons.
From Butane to Propane
When Iva remarried, the company name was officially changed to San Luis Butane Distributors. It later incorporated in 1952.
During the war years, oil companies began separating propane from butane. After the war, the company started transitioning to propane sales for all new customers. According to Frank, it took until about 1958 to finally phase out butane.
Frank’s stepfather, Louis “Lou” Marx, was a hard worker and helped build a solid company, though Frank remembered that he never really enjoyed the business. Lou was eventually persuaded to sell the business to Frank and his brother, Joseph, in 1959 with nothing down and payments over 20 years.
At that time, Frank remembered the business as being more appliance-oriented than gas.
Becoming Delta Liquid Energy
By the early 1980s, Frank was looking to grow the company while his brother was moving toward retirement. Frank was able to buy him out in the same manner they had purchased the business.
At the time, the company was also involved in the brokerage of butane and natural gasoline, and the name San Luis Butane had become misleading for domestic customers. Frank wanted a more modern name that could better represent all of the company’s activities.
That is how Delta Liquid Energy came to be.
With Joseph’s retirement, Frank’s son, Bill Platz, joined him in the business. Frank credited Bill’s help as an important part of building the company into what it is today.
Honoring the Early Days
Frank’s memories offer a rare look at the company’s earliest beginnings: a family looking for practical energy options, a resale tank in the front yard, early deliveries made without modern equipment, Iva Platz keeping the business moving through difficult years, and a family business that continued adapting through each new chapter.
What started during the Great Depression as a small butane operation in Atascadero eventually became Delta Liquid Energy, a fourth-generation family-owned company still rooted in service, hard work, and community.
Read more about Delta Liquid Energy’s 90-year history here: Delta Liquid Energy Celebrates 90 Years of Service, Family, and Community