Fueling Demand
Auburn-based Flyers Energy expands on its history of supplying fuel to trucking fleets
BY Judy Farah | PHOTOS BY Hector Amezcua
It ’ s easy to see how Flyers Energy got its name . The company ’ s headquarters is situated right alongside Auburn Municipal Airport , which makes it convenient when Flyers ’ executives need to take a business trip on their private corporate jet or fly one of their vintage airplanes that are housed in a modern hangar with a conference room that overlooks the runway .
The four Dwelle brothers who founded Flyers back in 1979 — Tom , Steve , Walt and Dave — are all accomplished pilots .
Tom and Steve were both fighter pilots for the U . S . Air Force during the Vietnam War and Steve was also a solo pilot for the Thunderbirds , while Tom performed at the National Championship Air Races in Reno .
Oil is also in the brothers ’ blood . Their grandfather , Walter Allen , started Beacon Oil Company in 1931 . Allen ’ s daughter Marjorie married Tom W . Dwelle , a pilot who became an oil distributor . Beacon , based in Hanford , grew into the largest independent oil refinery in California , but because Walter Allen didn ’ t do estate planning , the company had to be sold in order to pay the high estate tax .
His four grandsons ( the Dwelle brothers ) decided to continue the family business by buying seven gas stations in the Sacramento region . They called it Nella Oil ( Nella is Allen spelled backward ) but changed to Flyers Energy in year to more than 13,000 trucking fleets and businesses in 22 states .
“ Here we are , 42 years later , and we ’ re larger by any measure than Beacon ever was , and that is astounding ,” says Ken Dwelle , who served as chief operating officer the past 10 years and recently became president of its renewable energy division , Flyers Sustainable Energy . He ’ s the son of founder Tom A . Dwelle ( and grandson of Tom W . Dwelle ).
“ We ’ ve made it this many generations and I want to make sure that the company is profitable and successful , and that we evolve as the business needs to evolve .”
KEN DWELLE President , Flyers Sustainable Energy
Flyers Sustainable Energy represents the company ’ s move into renewable energy by owning two ethanol plants , a biogas production facility , a cattle waste biodigester and 87 solar power projects .
Five other members of the Dwelle family currently work at Flyers . “ The kids went off to follow their dreams and gain knowledge from careers in other industries ,” says founder Tom A . Dwelle , 84 . “ They have come back with partic-
2011 . Since then , Flyers has grown into ular experiences that have brought new
PHOTO BY KYLE JEFFERS a major business that supplies between insight and vision to the company .”
750 million and 850 million gallons a Ken says Flyers credits part of its success to listening to voices outside the family , including Rick Teske , its chief operating officer for 20 years ( Teske is now chairman of the board ) and Tom Di Mercurio , the current CEO . Flyers is now three different businesses : the original fuel company , Flyers Energy ; Flyers Sustainable Energy and more recently , Nella Invest . Ken says the move in California and nationally to transition from gasoline to electric energy has Flyers diversifying into other businesses . Flyers now also owns office buildings in Roseville and Folsom , a hotel in Roseville ( Hyatt Place Roseville ), 12 mobile home parks in four states and is invested in 18 Quick Quack Car Wash locations .
Flyers ’ founders are now in their 80s and remain limited partners who attend monthly board meetings . Ken wants to protect the family legacy and doesn ’ t want to make the same mistake his grandfather made by not estate planning , which is now an ongoing process at Flyers . “ I feel this company is the family tree that feeds our family ,” says Ken as he sits in the conference room overlooking the runway with his sister , Chris Haven , Flyers ’ marketing manager .
Ken also served in the Air Force and is a former United Airlines pilot . “ We ’ ve made it this many generations and I want to make sure that the company is profitable and successful , and that we evolve as the business needs to evolve .”
Judy Farah is managing editor of Comstock ’ s and the former senior editor of KFBK news radio .
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