NEWBERRY COUNTY — After over 40 years of service to the Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority, General Manager Stan Bryson has decided to retire at the end of this year.
“I’ve been here since 1978, so in August it’ll be 42 years,” Bryson said. “I started off as an installer, I was a helper on an installation truck. I was 20, fresh out of Spartanburg Methodist College.”
Bryson said he decided to work for CNNGA because he was looking for benefits, and the Authority had state retirement and benefits, and insurance. Being from Clinton, he was already familiar with CNNGA.
As an installer, Bryson said he would work on piping houses, hooking up furnaces, heaters, water heaters — all services he says they still do today.
“I did that for about eight years, then I moved to a foreman (position) over an installation truck — I was just over the truck, but still doing the same job,” Bryson said.
Bryson said he was in that position for two or three years, then moved to the Maintenance Department as a foreman.
“That was more or less working on the distribution stations, big meters, industrial meters, testing regulators, testing relief valves — anything to do with maintenance,” he said.
For about a year, Bryson was in that position — he then moved into the warehouse and was over the warehouse and was the purchasing agent. He did that for about two years, then took a job that he said was kind of the assistant to the general manager, but at that time they called in the general superintendent.
“I was over all the superintendents,” Bryson said. “The superintendents are like the superintendent of operation in Newberry, in Clinton, then the maintenance superintendent.”
He said CNNGA changed the name of that position to assistant manger, after about three years — that took place in 1998.
“I then took over as manager in 2000, November of 2000,” Bryson said.
Bryson made his career of climbing the ladder at CNNGA — he said in doing so he was able to learn the industry from one end to the other.
“You get a good scope of how the industry runs and operates,” he said. “I think that person who has been through it, and actually been out in the field — run the natural gas lines in the field, run services up to the house, actually put their hands on it — understands more about what you are talking about.”
In his position as general manager, Bryson said he has a lot of good people under him and has had good people under him since he was in purchasing.
Something Bryson has enjoyed doing at CNNGA is purchasing the natural gas, so that is a duty he kept under himself as general manager.
“We negotiate prices on natural gas, negotiate the sale of any capacities we don’t use,” he said.
Bryson also works with the office manager and the assistant manager — who Bryson said is over the superintendents.
“I work heavily with the (CNNGA) Board as well, deal heavily with the public, and if they can’t get an answer I will talk to them, never hesitated to call anyone back,” he said.
With his retirement announced, and scheduled for Dec. 31 of this year, Bryson said he is looking to travel a little.
“I’m going to miss it, you miss the people — I’ve got some good staff, and it’ll take some adjusting,” he said.
Even though he’s retiring, Bryson said he is still going to live in Clinton.
As far as the rest of the year, Bryson said he promised the CNNGA Board that he’d give them a notice of six months to a year. He said after he decided to retire, he gave them a notice of a year.
“It’ll take that time to find someone and get comfortable, I think,” Bryson said. “I told Foster Senn (chairman) if the Board was not comfortable at that time, Dec. 31, I’d stay for a month or two.”
A search committee has been formed, Bryson said he recommended Newberry Mayor, Foster Senn and Clinton Mayor, Bob McClain, the chair and vice-chair, respectively, and board members Zebbie Goudelock (Newberry City Council) and Danny Cook (Clinton City Council).
“We are looking to advertise in the local papers, and we’ve got some industry associations that we are going to advertise in,” Bryson said. “We are looking to have someone hired by May or June, give me a few months to work with them.”
As far as his service to CNNGA, Chairman Foster Senn said that Bryson has been an outstanding leader of CNNGA.
“With an excellent record of safety, customer service and excellent staff, while keeping gas prices below the regular average. Under Stan’s leadership, CNNGA has expanded services to Lake Greenwood to Lake Murray, Peak, Silverstreet and additional parts of Highway 34 in Newberry County. He’s also been active in Laurens and Newberry counties and supported many community efforts,” Senn said.