Ivah Purl, a fixture of the company’s operations in the Eldon, Mo., area, is retiring on Dec. 15. Purl has held a few roles with the company, including driver and plant manager, but for the bulk of his career, he has been a service technician.
Tom Procter, BPLP western region vice president, was one of Purl’s managers and says he’s always admired his willingness to share his knowledge and tackle large projects.
“In his 36-year career, Ivah has seen many changes in the fuel and propane world, but also many changes within MFA Oil,” says Procter. “He has always adapted and been a great asset in the field. He was never shy about sharing his expertise, which we will miss.”
One major area of improvement that Purl experienced has been the upgrades to the company’s fleet of service trucks. He used to drive a truck with a trailer to haul tanks to and from customer locations. When service technicians started to receive crane trucks with room to haul tanks on the truck, Purl said that made things more convenient.
“Getting the crane trucks for the service techs was a blessing,” he recalls.
Another recent highlight in Purl’s career was an opportunity to install tank monitors on company-owned refined fuel tanks. He traveled to locations throughout the Central District to contribute to this important company initiative.
Purl has enjoyed his career with the company and expects retirement will be a big change.
“I’m sure I’ll miss it (work),” he says. “But I’m not the most computer-savvy guy, and I definitely won’t miss that part of the job.”
Dalton Oden, Eldon and California plant manager, says working with Purl has been a pleasure.
“Ivah has consistently gone above and beyond in his work,” Oden says. “His wisdom and experience will be missed, but I appreciate him trying to pass on as much as he could before his retirement. He’s been a great leader, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”