Effective Jan. 1, South Alabama Gas has purchased Marengo Butane of Linden. The company will use Marengo Butane’s building at 114 N. Main St. in Linden.

“We are owned by two cities: Monroeville and Evergreen,” said South Alabama Gas division superintendent Michael Toomey. “We are controlled by a board of directors elected by those cities. We operate as a municipal corporation. We are a public utility company; that’s how we are classified by the state.”

South Alabama Gas has offices in Thomasville, Brewton, Butler, Camden, Chatom, Gilbertown, Greenville and Opp as well as in Evergreen and Monroeville.

“The way we try to grow is by acquisition,” Toomey said. “The timing was right. (Former Marengo Butane owner) Andy (Renner) was ready to move on, and we were ready to move in.”

South Alabama Gas offers the same services that Marengo Butane did, but the new company is more of a full-line appliance dealer.

“We offer electric and gas appliances,” Toomey said. “Most gas companies just sell gas appliances. We sell probably 10 electric stoves for every one gas stove. We do sales and service.”

Toomey said the company needs more room for appliance sales, and that the company will eventually expand its building or move to a larger location.