Tim driving the delivery truck, the first one, built from scrap lying around Lin's Propane Trucks (1990)

Some people are born into farming families, tilling the land or raising livestock. Some are born into families that own the local hardware or grocery store. Tim Johnson, a Dighton native, was born into the propane business. He’s been serving families and companies across the region ever since.

Now, Propane Plus isn’t a business that was handed down from father to son. Yes, Tim grew up working at the propane company owned by his dad, Lin. But everything changed around 1985, when Lin decided it was time to retire—or so they all thought. While Tim was in college, Lin sold his propane business. But that wasn’t the end of the story, not by a long shot.

As it turned out, Lin had an exceptional ability, and a hankering, to build the industry’s finest propane delivery trucks. So, he ditched his retirement plans and launched Lin’s Propane Trucks. And Tim went to work for his father again.

But, the truck building business wasn’t exactly Tim’s cup of tea. He grew restless, and after a few years, he decided to launch a propane company of his own in Rehoboth MA. Tim worked at Lin’s during the day, and if a customer showed up looking for propane, Tim changed his shirt and went from the back to the front of the shop. He gave his first delivery truck a high number, so nobody would know it was his only one. (Hey, just because you aren’t big doesn’t mean you can’t act like it.)

Left: Tim's younger brother Andy (1992)  Right: Tim and his wife Diane promoting Propane Plus at the old Rehoboth Fair (1990)