About Us

Midwest Gas is a local, independent propane distributor serving Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. Robert and Ruth Greene started the business in 1945 out of their Highland Heights home and Midwest Gas has been owned and operated by the same family since. As Ruth recalled, “Working together, we started up this business right after World War II, working out of our home located next door to our offices here in Highland Heights, starting out with one customer. Like a lot of husband-wife teams back in those days, I handled the office work and he handled everything else.” Propane was still a recent technology at the time, and the propane industry had been growing quickly since it was first introduced for residential use in the 1920s. People in Northern Kentucky, tired of having to cook and heat with wood, were anxious to have a new gas system installed in their homes in that post-war era.

In 1955, Robert suffered a major heart attack and passed away, leaving Ruth in charge of the growing business. She received several offers from interested buyers, but she was deeply involved in all aspects of the business at that point and thoroughly enjoyed it. While deciding whether she should sell, a salesman dropped by her office and made a comment about women in the propane industry. “He said he didn’t know of any woman that had ever succeeded in the gas business. Well, that lit a fire, a huge torch in my belly that, to this day, is still burning inside me. I made up my mind then and there that I wasn’t going to sell the company, but keep it and grow it, and become a success in the business.”

Ruth became a rare female business owner in the field. Her determination, and her commitment to outstanding service, helped turn Midwest Gas into Northern Kentucky’s leader in propane services. She later remarried and many in the area know her as Ruth Greene Rilling. She remained involved in the business, still coming to the office daily, until her death in 2009. Today, her descendants are proud to honor her legacy and continue the tradition of quality service, reliable propane delivery, and fair and transparent pricing.