10/29/2002
Sprott Oil and Propane has been around for more than 70 years. "My dad started the company in 1929," says Burgess Sprott. "He was a commission agent for Esso back in the days when there were no pumps on delivery trucks. For deliveries, he either dropped the oil directly into underground tanks or carried it in five-gallon cans for aboveground tanks. All of his product at that time came via railroad."Burgess Sprott joined his father in 1956, when he got out of the Air Force. But that wasn't his first taste of the business. "I've been in it all my life," says Sprott. "I worked there when I was a boy, and as soon as I got a drivers license I was on a delivery truck."
Today, Sprott Oil and Propane has abandoned its original bulk plant in Summerton and is now located in Manning, just off I-95, about halfway between Columbia and Charleston. Burgess' son Buck is now the company president.
As for the town of Manning, Burgess Sprott says it's a "big city of about 5,800." What used to be a predominantly agricultural area -- says Sprott, who has lived there most of his life -- has shifted over time, though it remains very much a rural town.
Yet Sprott stays connected with other small businesses -- and Washington, D.C. -- through NFIB. He's served on the state leadership council for the past 15 years and, though he admits an aversion to email, Sprott finds the fax machine works just fine. "I just sent faxes to people in Washington last week on a couple of issues," he says. "I usually get a response. I don't know whether I always get a good reaction, but I usually get a response."
He adds, "One of the things I like about NFIB is that they rate all the politicians. It lets me know who to be for and who to be against."
Quick Facts:
Name: Burgess Sprott
Business: Sprott Oil and Propane
Location: Manning, S.C.
Founded: 1929
When (and why) did you join NFIB?
I don't really remember how or when I joined, other than I'd see them at a lot of these trade associations and liked what they were doing. It's hard to put your finger on it and say NFIB did this, or caused that to happen, but a lot of good things have happened because of it and things connected to it. They play a very positive role.
Which legislative issues are you currently watching?
There are so many issues that come and go. There's always something.
What do you like best about being a small business owner?
I'm free to make decisions, right or wrong, whichever they might turn out to be. You're free to expand, or not expand. Of course, it carries responsibilities, too. Some of the things you start don't actually go.
Is there anything else interesting about your business background?
(Chuckling) Not really.
