Chesapeake Utilities history

Dover Gas was incorporated in 1881.

The history of Citizens Gas can be traced back to 1907 with the creation of Salisbury, Maryland-based Home Gas company, financed by a group of wealthy local investors.

Sussex Gas was started in 1910 to serve Seaford, Delaware.

It became known as Citizens Gas Company in 1914 after it was acquired by William J. Downing.

Several years later Dover Gas became a subsidiary of a holding company, General Gas and Electric Corporation. It remained a part of General Gas and Electric until 1942, when it was sold to the Philadelphia investment banking firm of Harrison and Company, which already owned a Maryland utility, Hagerstown Gas Company.

In 1947, Chesapeake Utilities was incorporated in Delaware.

Only a few months later, in March 1948, Chesapeake acquired Citizens Gas and Sussex Gas, the other companies that would form the bulk of its present holdings.

ESNG was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1955.

Since ESNG began transporting natural gas through its pipeline in 1959, our history has been rich with growth, both organic and expanding beyond our existing footprint to bring natural gas to areas of the Delmarva Peninsula that were previously not served.

In January 1960, due to changes in federal legislation governing utilities, Chesapeake was able to merge its three gas subsidiaries and begin to do business as a single company.

In 1965, a 30-mile pipeline expansion from Bridgeville, DE, to Cambridge, MD, was completed.

1966 was another milestone year as Eastern Shore added a second interconnect with Transco at Hockessin, DE.

Beginning in 1971, Eastern Shore began to experience curtailment of its supply.

The gas shortage grew so severe that in 1977 some of Chesapeake’s industrial customers were cut off completely for weeks at a time.

His son took over a position of leadership, becoming president of the company, then in June 1980 was named chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors.

In 1981, construction of an 8-mile parallel line from Dover, DE to Canterbury, DE, was completed.

Edward C. Burton, Jr. retired as CEO in July 1983, ending the long tenure of active service by the Burton family.

1985: Central Florida Gas Company is acquired.

The company in 1988 used stock to acquire the Plant City Natural Gas Company and Saf-T-Gas Co., a propane business, both located in Plant City, Florida.

1991: United Systems, Inc. is acquired.

1998: Xeron, Inc. is acquired.

In 2000, Carroll Water Systems, Inc. of Westminster, Maryland, another EcoWater dealership, was brought into the fold.

Since the acquisition of Eastern Shore Gas (now operating as Sandpiper Energy) in 2013, our employees converted approximately 10,000 customers to natural gas service.

2015 Chesapeake Utilities Corporation acquired Gatherco, Inc. in Ohio and created the new subsidiary, Aspire Energy.

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation completed and placed in-service the Eastern Shore Natural Gas 2017 Expansion, the single largest transmission system expansion in the Company’s history.

market cap achieved in 2021