“Dan and I, we started this business,” said former HomEnergy co-owner Tim Reilly. “Fall would be our 25th anniversary of HomEnergy Services. … We’re going to continue to stay involved — and honestly it’s just a win-win for everybody.

“It’s good timing for Dan and I to maybe throttle back a little bit, but continue to stay involved.”

The Reilly brothers, along with their father Joe, started HomEnergy in 1994 with one truck and one employee.

“Fast-forward 25 years later, and we’ve got 20 employees and 15 trucks and hundreds and hundreds of customers,” Tim said.

John Baird, president of Mx Petroleum, stands in front of a HomEnergy sign in Saranac Lake Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Jesse Adcock)

Mx Petroleum is the largest largest commercial and retail fuel supplier in northern New York, with offices in Massena, Malone, AuSable Forks and now here in Saranac Lake at the HomEnergy offices on Depot Street.

John Baird, president of Mx, said the company will bring three employees to the area immediately and plans to expand and develop the HomEnergy storage lot on Van Buren Street, which currently only holds a 30,000 gallon propane tank.

Dan said the plan was always to move the storage tanks for propane and other fuels off Depot Street and to Van Buren — but the expense of the project got in the way.

Baird said there would not be any immediate changes to branding.

“One of our other acquisitions, with the Gordon Oil Company in AuSable Forks — we still have the Gordon Oil name on the trucks,” Baird said. “And we’ll be taking the advice of the Reilly brothers.”

In the seven different acquisitions Mx has made, Baird said, they’ve kept all existing staff on.

“Our customer base, they’re not going to notice anything,” Dan said. “It’s a common thing in this industry. Companies that want to grow, they commonly purchase other companies. Last year, up around Potsdam, Diamond Propane sold, and you know it’s just a common thread in the energy business.”

Dan said they’d been approached every year for buyouts but had never been satisfied that the buyers would continue what HomEnergy has always prioritized: their employees, customers and community. Also, Mx is family owned, by the MacEwen family, like HomEnergy was by the Reillys.

Each year, HomEnergy sponsors more than 100 community event and organizations, Tim said — and Mx, who they’ve been doing business with for 15 years, will continue that tradition. HomEnergy sponsors events like the Pat Stratton Memorial Bike Ride, and the Mad Hatter’s Ball in Lake Placid, as well as organizations like the Ecumenical Council and the Women’s Civic Chamber.

“Over time, the Reilly’s have built their business being part of the community, family owned business and helping out the community and being involved,” said John Baird, president of Mx. “We’ll do the same thing.”

Baird said that like HomEnergy’s support of BluSeed Studios and the Pendragon Theatre, Mx would continue to support the arts in the area.