About Our Firm

Cetane Associates is a consulting company focusing primarily on the retail fuel industry.  Steven Abbate, the president of Cetane Associates has worked with the home comfort and fuels industries for over twenty years.  Mr. Abbate has been involved in the acquisition and sale of more than fifty retail fuel marketers. These businesses provided several consumer products including fuel oil, propane, gasoline, diesel fuel and the sale and servicing of HVAC equipment.

Cetane Associates and Mr. Abbate have consulted with and performed financial and operational valuations on hundreds of businesses throughout the eastern part of the United States from Maine to North Carolina.  In his career he has developed financial models that offer both valuations of businesses and platforms for improving the overall company operations.

Mr. Abbate is a published contributor for industry publications including Fuel Oil News.  His articles have covered subjects on improving operational efficiencies, margin improvement, hedging and business valuations.  He has also been interviewed by Fuel Oil News on acquisition strategy, business development and ownership transition.  His articles have been quoted in Oil & Energy magazine as well as in the New Hampshire Oilheat Institute’s newsletter.

On multiple occasions, Mr. Abbate has been a guest speaker for several industry conferences including the Atlantic Region Energy Expo, The New England Fuel Institute’s Visions Conference as well as the North Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association Annual meeting.

Mr. Abbate has been active in several industry organizations including:

• New England Fuel Institute (NEFI):  Member of the Board of Directors; Co-Chairperson for the Visions Conference Committee
• Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association (ICPA):  Former member of the Board of Directors
• Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey (FMA):  Guest speaker for the largest industry trade show (Atlantic Region Energy Expo) in 2007, 2009 & 2011
• North Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association:  Guest speaker for their annual convention in 2008
• Participated in many other industry association activities, including: Empire State Petroleum Association, New York Oil Heat Association, Mid Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, Virginia Petroleum Convenience & Grocery Association and the Delaware Valley Fuel Dealers Association

Mr. Abbate has worked with several prominent companies within the industry including but not limited to:

• Dennis K. Burke
• Paraco Gas Company
• Energy USA Propane
• Star Gas Partners
• Superior Plus Energy Services
• Wesson Energy
• Griffith Energy Services, Inc
• Heating Oil Partners, LLP
• Townsend Oil & Propane
• Heaney Energy Corporation
• Central Hudson Energy Group
• Dolinsky Associates
• Heatingoil.com
• James Devaney Company

Mr. Abbate has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Towson University.  He also holds a series seven license (Inactive) from the National Association of Security Dealers.  He has attended several business programs related to the fuel industry.

Mr. Abbate is an expert in the field of business valuations and fuel marketer acquisitions.  He has performed valuations using several methods including multiples of cash flow, internal rate of return, distributable cash flow, rate of return, and return on equity.  He has done extensive work with distressed companies and has performed numerous due diligence projects for prominent companies within the fuel industry and servicing the fuel industry.  Cetane Associates LLC has been authorized as an appraiser of fuel oil companies by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (4-1-2010).