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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 9 T R E N D I N G CORNER OFFICE H owie Hoyt, who logged his 50th year with Hamden's Eastern Fuel in 2020, start- ed working for his family's 130-year-old home-heating oil company right out of high school. Literally. "I always remember the day I started because I graduated the day before," recalls Hoyt, 68, a member of Cheshire High School's class of 1970. "I graduated from high school and the next day I went in and said, 'I'm here to work.' It's all I ever wanted to do." Hoyt's great-great-grandfather Frederick Dickerman sold the first wooden telephone poles to South- ern New England Telephone before shiing his business to home heating — delivering firewood at first, then coal, kerosene and, eventually, oil. His legacy is Eastern Fuel, which Hoyt leads today as president. Founded in 1890, it is Hamden's oldest continuously run business, delivering home heating oil and providing heating and air condi- tioning services to thousands of homes and businesses across greater New Haven. Reaching the 50-year mark with the company is an impressive mile- stone, but Hoyt's presence in the business goes back even further. "I started when I was one or two years old, riding in the oil truck with my father," says Hoyt, who grew up in Hamden and Cheshire and now lives in North Haven. "As I got older, I would help him pull the hose to the house. I just did it my whole life." All he ever wanted to do was drive an oil truck like his dad. But his father, who was running the com- pany by the time 18-year-old Howie arrived in 1970, had other ideas. "I came into work my first day and said, 'Which oil truck is mine?' From wood chipper to president, Hoyt learned family run Eastern Fuel from ground up By Natalie Missakian And he said 'Walk with me,' " Hoyt remembers. His father then led him over to the wood yard and told him to start splitting wood. (Eastern Fuel was still in the firewood delivery business at the time.) "And that's what I did all summer — split wood," Hoyt recalls. "He said, 'If you're going to learn this job and probably take my place, you're going to know it from top to bottom." When the elder Hoyt retired several years later, Howie took over with his brother Woody, growing the company from 350 customers to more than 2,000. ey also devel- oped the Westwoods Corner shop- ping plaza on Whitney Avenue. Hoyt says one of the biggest changes in the industry since then has been the rise of cash-on-deliv- Our flexible lending solutions and experienced team may be just what your business needs. Visit chelseagroton.com/growthatbusiness or call 860-448-4203. You can count on us. BUSINESS BANKING • COMMERCIAL LOANS TREASURY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ery oil suppliers, offering cheaper prices for customers willing to forgo automatic delivery and a service contract. "But if you go that route and your furnace breaks in the middle of the night, who are you going to call?" asks Hoyt. "Ninety percent of my customers know me by name, be- cause I say, 'If you've got a problem, call me.' We'll usually get somebody there in less than an hour." Carrying on that personal approach are his son Jonathan, daughter, Jackie Condon, and son- in-law, Cameron Condon, who now run the day-to-day operations. Aside from work and family (including grandchildren Vivian, 8, Evelyn, 4 and Grant, 2) Hoyt's next true loves are his summer home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, near Lake Winnipesaukee, and his classic cars, including a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS and a 2001 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. n Eastern Fuel President Howie Hoyt with his granddaughter, Evelyn. Eastern Fuel, founded in 1890, is Hamden's oldest continuously run business.

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