As a child Bruce Vogt went to see his grandmother at her job on the western end of town.</p><p>At the time he had no idea that he would one day own the business he was visiting. The young boy had more pressing concerns. </p><p>"Being a little kid and liking to explore, I made my way up to the attic through the shop in the back. I was exploring the attic and made a misstep and fell through the ceiling tiles. I caught myself so it was just my legs hanging down there," Vogt said. </p><p>For the past 25 years the boy dangling from the attic has been the owner of Lorensen Propane Gas Inc. The company has belonged to the Lorensens and Vogts for decades and has seen four generations walk through its doors to start working in the family business. </p><p>This year marks Lorensen's 70th anniversary in Los Ba&#241;os as gas products remain just as much in demand for some as they did during the first half of the 20th century.</p><p>Lorensen Butane/Propane was founded by Fred and Geraldine Lorensen when the energy source they were selling was a relatively new product. </p><p>"My grandfather had a tractor business in the '30s. I think there were plenty of other tractor businesses so he started looking for something nobody else was doing, and something people had a need for," Vogt said. </p><p>The couple's business became a major supplier to the Los Ba&#241;os and Dos Palos areas. In 1964 Bruce Sr. and Patricia Lorensen-Vogt took control of the business and moved it to the east end of the city. </p><p>Today, walking into Lorensen Propane, customers come into immediate contact with stoves, barbecue pits and refrigerators powered by gas. Vogt said there's still heavy demand for those items and storage tanks, particularly in the rural sections of the county.</p><p>"Business is doing great," he said. "It's clean, safe, a product that beats electricity. Nobody wants to cook with an electric stove. Who ever saw a professional cook with an electric stove?"</p><p>The company sells products to dairies, cotton gins and private citizens. Repair is also a big part of the business, which currently employs 17 people. </p><p>Vogt said in a quarter of a century of running the business about the only thing that has changed is the cost of energy. He said it makes the business more cautious in ensuring its supply.</p><p>"Every opportunity we've had we've amassed more storage," he said. "We don't want to have to tell our customers we don't have product."</p><p>The business tends to retain its employees. In Vogt's office he has a picture of one worker who spent 35 years with the company before he passed away last year. </p><p>Plant Manager Dan Wiley is about to enter his 17th year with the company. He said he enjoys dealing with the customers.</p><p>"I'm happy where I'm at," he said of his job. "Everybody out in the country if their appliances aren't running on electricity they are running on propane. That means clothes dryers, stoves, water heaters."</p><p>Vogt said he has experienced the big-box stores cutting into some of his business selling gas appliances. But he isn't overly concerned. </p><p>"A lot of customers want something they know is going to work. They want to know the buck stops here, not in New Jersey some place," he said.</p><p>Vogt kept the 70th anniversary celebration low key. A few weeks ago he hosted a party for his employees and customers. He's optimistic about the future and is confident that when it's time to retire that Lorensen Propane Gas Inc. will stay in the family.</p><p>His daughter is already working at the business.</p><p><i>Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or at cpride@losbanosenterprise.com.</i>