Ryan Perque | Executive Director, Friends of Bayou Lafourche
February 13, 2020
The Coronavirus and Oil…Any Impact? Probably So
February 13, 2020
For a company to be able to serve the needs of South Louisiana to the best of its ability, it first has to understand the culture of the area and what lies at the heart of that culture: family.
For Breaux Petroleum Products, a company that has seen five generations of Breauxs run its operations, understanding the importance of family comes all too easily.
Founded in the early 1900s by A.P. Breaux, Breaux Petroleum has managed the sale and delivery of products like lubricants, oils, greases and fuels to local industries in South Louisiana. Breaux Petroleum was the first-ever Shell distributor in the state and added CITGO products to its portfolio in recent years. The company also offers technical services that accompany such products, including filtration, oil analysis, on-site assessments and training, oil dehydration and various forms of rental equipment. Breaux Petroleum strives to offer customers top-notch services and products.
The company prides itself on being a family business that is now run by three generations of the Breaux family. Ever since A.P. started the company over 90 years ago, Breaux Petroleum has been passed down from father to son for five generations. Currently, the company is owned by Leon “Buddy” Breaux, Jr., and his son, Leon “Bud” Breaux III, who serves as president. Bud’s sons, Blake and Derek, who are the fifth generation, also serve in leadership roles.
“We’re proud that we’ve been family owned and operated for 98 years and are blessed to have three generations at the helm,” said Bud Breaux. “With each generation of leadership, we’re able to draw from new insight and outlooks that help us adapt to an ever-changing industry while continuing to meet the needs of our customers.”
Several members of the Breaux family either currently work for the company or have in the past. The family says it’s proud that Breaux Petroleum plays a huge role in the identity of the Breaux family name, and they all take pride in being a part of it.
“You don’t just step into a position in the company because you’re a Breaux,” Bud explains. “Family members who work for the company have started out in roles that allowed them to learn the business from the ground up. It’s important that as we’ve worked our way up into management, we had the years of experience and knowledge needed.”
Breaux Petroleum uses its family-oriented nature as a catalyst to serve the local community in a way that goes beyond oil products.
The company says it uses as many local suppliers as possible in its operations and holds close ties to many local businesses.
Breaux Petroleum also makes it a point to donate to local causes, community events, schools and more. For example, for the latest Giving Tuesday campaign, the company asked its followers on social media to nominate causes close to them. Breaux Petroleum then donated to the top three organizations that received the most nominations.
“Giving back to the community is one of the core values of our family and something that we take pride in carrying over to the company. We want that to be a part of our legacy,” Bud says.
As Breaux Petroleum continues to grow and expand, the leadership knows it will always keep its focus on the family values and culture it was founded on nearly 100 years ago.
“We are appreciative of the family members who work in the business and are just as grateful for our employees who don’t carry the Breaux name. It’s not lost on us that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the hard work and efforts of our team of employees, be it a Breaux family member or not,” says Bud. •
