Mulgrew Oil & Propane Co. was founded in May 1893, by Thomas J. Mulgrew when he bought a coal yard on the Dubuque waterfront. The company started out providing coal to packet ships and sold coal to industries and residents to heat their homes. In 1901, an ice business was added to the company as a companion to the coal business, allowing the delivery of ice to customers in the summer and coal in the winter. The ice block business remained active until the late 1950’s and the company continued selling packaged ice until that product line was sold in 1984.
In 1927, the company started selling oil and petroleum products using Skelly Oil Company as its first supplier. The company has switched oil suppliers a few times over the years; however, in 1983, the company merged with Arbee Oil Company, which was the local Amoco distributor. Amoco, now BP, is the only company in the Midwest that has its own refinery and pipeline in the Midwest, which ensures a consistent, high quality product.
Through continual growth and acquisitions, Mulgrew Oil and Propane has expanded our product offerings from coal and ice to include Fuels (diesels & gasolines), Propane, Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), Equipment and Service, as well as increasing our reach by expanding our locations from a single warehouse in Dubuque to 18 locations spanning the tri-state area.
Along with this growth, an ownership change occurred as well. In September of 2019 after serving 22 years as the Vice President and then President, Tom Flogel purchased Mulgrew from Jim Mulgrew ushering in a new leader and family ownership. Tom has continued to drive and support the growth of the business as he has in the past; including the closing of 34 mergers and acquisitions. Today, Tom is joined by his sons Jackson and Davis who work alongside him on a daily basis to continue the Mulgrew Oil and Propane traditions.
As a dynamic, passionate team we are proud of our past and even more excited about our future. As our industry continues to evolve, we are driven to continually reinvest in our systems and practices to ensure we are your best energy option for today and tomorrow.
