From emergency heating repairs to automatic fuel deliveries and rewiring projects, Townsend Energy is committed to optimizing its customers’ indoor comfort with prompt, professional service. Brookes Townsend, President, tells us more about the company’s family origins and plans for an expansive future.
HOME TO ALL ENERGY NEEDS
As New England’s premier heating and cooling, electrical, generator, and fuel delivery service provider, Townsend Energy (Townsend) has a proud history encompassing over 90 years of hard work, dedication, and family values.
Founded in 1931 by Mial E. Townsend, the company first operated out of his home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, where he provided kerosene and heating oil to those in the surrounding area.
Eventually, Mial married his bookkeeper, Margaret, and started a family, with three of their sons entering the business at different points in time.
After returning from World War II, one son – Warren – joined Townsend and helped usher the company into a period of growth and dynamism.
“Through the efforts of Warren and his wife, Dorothy, Townsend developed a reputation for unbeatable customer service,” introduces Brookes Townsend, President.
“Together, they built the solid foundations of a customer-centric business philosophy that still exists today.”
With Warren and Dorothy’s children eventually joining the company, the tight-knit family unit doubled the business between 1979 and 1983 while maintaining a focus on delivering the unparalleled customer service Townsend was reputed for.
The company continued its steady progression through the decades, first acquiring Woodbury Fuel in 1983 and now boasting over 35 additional energy firms under its umbrella.
From the late 1990s through to today, Townsend has diversified its product offerings to include propane, electricity, generators, diesel, commercial natural gas, and energy audits, transforming it into a true full-service energy provider.
Currently, Townsend proudly boasts over 30,000 customers across various businesses and is on a mission to transform the quality of life in communities through a legendary service experience known as ‘The Townsend Way’.
THE TOWNSEND WAY
As part of the Townsend family tree, Brookes has had an entrepreneurial spirit instilled in him since childhood.
Having earned degrees from George Washington University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he founded both a bagel and coffee chain as well as a technology start-up in and around the baseball recruiting space, selling each before transitioning to help lead Townsend and continue its lasting legacy.
Today, Brookes views the energy sector as a place of constant advancement and excitement, with tremendous amounts of consolidation ongoing.
“The industry has meant so much to my family, and I have nothing but admiration and appreciation for it. The work we do may not be glamorous, but it is necessary, and we take pride in what we do,” Brookes highlights.
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Townsend’s current priority is to find new and improved ways to provide for and service its existing client base.
“Our customer service is a huge differentiator in the energy and home services space. The goal is to scale while maintaining the ‘white glove service’ we try to provide every day to our customers,” he specifies.
Equally as important are the company’s strong relationships with its partners and suppliers, which Townsend has worked hard to foster over the years.
As a result, the company is confident it can obtain products as and when needed – even if there is a shortage – due to the reliable and mutually beneficial connections it has formed.
“My dad is the one who deserves all the credit for this, and it is a great lesson for myself and my brother on the importance of building and maintaining relationships,” details Brookes.
“Our strategic principle is to exceed customer expectations the first time – and every time!”
Brookes Townsend, President, Townsend Energy
A FAMILY BUSINESS
Having been family-owned and operated since its inception, Townsend’s intimate origins manifest in the day-to-day operations and interactions that take place throughout the company.
“I am extremely lucky and grateful to be able to go to work every single day with my brother and dad. I say every single day because a family business is not just Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm – we live and breathe it 24/7.
“Fortunately, the company is at a size where we can skate our own lanes and have our ownership areas while working collaboratively day in, day out,” Brookes informs us.
Townsend has utilized the camaraderie forged across four generations to become recognized and respected as one of the larger and more progressive family-operated energy marketers in New England, proud to service residential and commercial customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
With highly trained, skilled, and motivated employees, the company is prepared and excited to face the challenges and fast-paced business environment of the new millennium head-on, keeping an eye on delivering outstanding customer service – the backbone of Townsend for over nine decades.
Equally, the company is committed to growing through product diversification and acquisitions in the upcoming years.
“We have built up a strong, loyal customer base and we want to find ways to provide more services to them in the most frictionless way possible,” insights Brookes.
Townsend recently acquired The Fuel Company – an energy and home services business on Cape Cod – in February 2025, as well as a minority stake in AA Propane in Missouri.
These investments showcase the company’s desire to grow its geographical footprint and serve even more customers across the US.
SOLID FOUNDATIONS
As Townsend continues to look toward the future of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical, and fuel delivery services, it is also embarking upon other key investments including a new training center, updated departmental training, and fuel terminals.
“These investments are all about building the offerings, bringing in the talent, and spreading the word through our marketing channels,” details Brookes.
“We have a base we can begin marketing to and are very close to launching full-service plumbing and electrical services to our customers.”
Equally as crucial are Townsend’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, as the company prioritizes giving back to the community and encouraging environmental conservation.
Throughout the years, it has highlighted making a difference in surrounding communities having now become one of the area’s most philanthropic family-owned companies.
Recognizing the need for environmental conservation in the 21st century and beyond, Townsend has committed to serving as a role model for environmental change and making energy conservation and education about global warming a cornerstone of its corporate mission.
The company inspires homeowners to embrace energy conservation measures that reduce their carbon footprints by injecting a new focus into Townsend – to motivate a cross-generational change in energy consumption behaviors at grassroots level, furthering its long-standing reputation for success and innovation.
“Reputation is a responsibility to our family and at the forefront of everything we do. It’s something I remind myself of regularly and, along with our core values, is a guiding beacon for a lot of the decisions we make,” Brookes proudly concludes.
