I’m William Burke and I started Burke Oil Company in 1993. Here’s a bit of my story.
The seeds of my success were planted long ago when my grandfather Romeo Regnier back in the 1940′s bought Gould Manufacturing Company which made gould oil burners. Located in Uphams Corner Dorchester. After his service in WWII, he returned to making and innovating oil burners. Sadly his life ended early in his late fifties. Afterwards with no sons to continue the business his wife Helen sold the company. And thereafter changes in oil burners rendered the Gould Burner obsolete and it quickly faded to history.
Inspired by stories of the oil business from my father James Burke. who worked as a service man for James Devaney Fuel and Hughes Energy. Along with a passion for owning my own business, Burke Oil was launched.
My goal was to become part of the oil heat community of dealers. To learn from there vast extensive knowledge and experience. I interned with two of the biggest and best oil companies in the Boston area.
After obtaining a small amount of customers in my Neponset neighborhood, and a network of oil heat professionals to draw knowledge and labor from. I bought my first truck, A 1969 Chevy C70. It was cheap to buy but not cheap to fix. It needed everything and broke down all the time. The lights the heat, oh the heat, it didn’t want to work on the coldest of cold days.
With the kinks worked out I started expanding, customers I reached out to gave me a chance and were rewarded with the supreme service that you can only get from an owner operator who gives 110 percent all the time.
My oath to myself and my customers was to ensure that every oil stop would get done no matter what it took and every customer service issue would get addressed in a timely courteous manner.
This kind of work ethic and dedication to the job and to the customers helped us at Burke Oil Company to spread from the Neponset area to all over the South Shore and the BOSTON area.
Today we run 5 oil trucks and do a large service business. With thanks to you and many more like you. The first 20 years have been fulfilling and I’m looking forward to new and exciting happening in the next 20 years.
Thank you. Bill Burke