New Energy Provider Results from Joint Venture Between Four Investors 

For Immediate Release 

Contact: Renee R. Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Phone: (828) 758-2383 
E-mail:  Renee Whitener

October 5, 1998 –A new energy company serving western North Carolina to upstate South Carolina with products including propane gas, fuel oil, diesel fuel, kerosene and commercial gasoline has been announced by the four investor/owners in the new company. 


Blue Ridge Energies, Limited Liability Company (LLC), is a for-profit business venture between Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, National Cooperative Services Corporation (NCSC), North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC), and Lenoir, N.C., businessman John Beall. Beall retains a percentage of ownership in the new company after selling Beall Oil Company and Beall Propane, Inc. to Blue Ridge Energies to form the core operation of the new company. 


The LLC has appointed Doug Johnson, chief executive officer of Blue Ridge Electric, to serve as president and CEO of Blue Ridge Energies, a position he will assume in addition to his CEO role at Blue Ridge Electric. John Beall has been named executive vice president and general manager of Blue Ridge Energies. 


Blue Ridge Energies operates out of the former Beall headquarters in Lenoir and is opening a Morganton branch office later this month. Employees of the former Beall companies have retained their positions with the new company. 


“Blue Ridge Energies is the result of months of work to create an enterprise that will offer outstanding options and benefits to customers,” Johnson said. 


“Blue Ridge Electric will continue to operate as a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative,” he added. “Blue Ridge Energies is operated as a for-profit, separate entity.”


“This new venture represents an exciting, giant step forward for the customers and employees who have made the Beall Oil and Propane companies a success over the years,” said Beall. 


Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned utility serving nearly 60,000 members in northwest North Carolina. NCSC is an affiliate of National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, a national financing company. NCEMC is the power generation and transmission utility serving 26 of the state’s electric cooperatives and some 1.7 million North Carolinians.


“The new company is designed to satisfy customers’ needs for high quality, competitively priced energy products and services during a very dynamic time for the energy industry.”


Blue Ridge Energies can be contacted by calling (828) 758-4401 or toll free at 1-800-726-0405.

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