Core Values Drive Family Business Transformation
“We are in a complex and changing industry with a lot of rules. We need good governance to ensure that all shareholders are satisfied with the company’s operations. That will always require good legal counsel.” - -- Thomas Santa, President and CEO, Santa Energy Corporation
As Santa Energy nears its 80th year of operation, it celebrates a rich history and transformation from its start in 1940 as a one-truck kerosene delivery service in Stratford, into a major regional energy supplier that services residential, commercial and wholesale customers and has been headquartered in Bridgeport since 1959.
Tom Santa, a third generation employee and grandson of founders Stephen and Madelyn Santa, joined the company in 1982 and has been President and CEO since 2004. Although the workforce has grown to nearly 200 employees, Tom’s family members –including three uncles, two cousins and two sons - are actively involved in the outfit, beating the odds as a family business to carry into the third and fourth generation of operation.
Pullman & Comley has worked with Santa Energy on many fronts over the years, ranging from assistance on real estate and environmental matters to general corporate and financing counsel that support the company’s continued expansion to diversify energy services across the Northeast. Perhaps most importantly, we have helped create an ownership structure that allows for the perpetuation of the family business. The continued growth of the company enables it to carry forth a tradition begun by Tom’s grandparents, of being a good corporate citizen that demonstrates generosity, philanthropic investment and charitable kindness in the communities where Santa customers live.