You may not know that before coming to Greenville Utilities, Natural Gas Supply Officer Freddie Martin worked at the East Carolina University (ECU) Medical School. During his time at ECU, he worked as a laboratory analyst in the allergy lab. After a year and half at ECU, Freddie became allergic to the rabbits he was working with daily. "I was literally allergic to my job," Freddie joked.

So in 1990, Freddie landed a job here at GUC. He was the Industrial Service Coordinator in Water Resources for seventeen years before moving to the Gas Department where he holds his current title.

Like most utilities, GUC does not own a natural gas supply; we purchase natural gas on the open market. In addition to paying for the cost of the gas itself, we also pay to have it transported from the Gulf of Mexico to our system. A competitive market determines the price of natural gas, which is a commodity traded on the open market like wheat, oil, and lumber. The market price of natural gas is dictated by supply and demand," said Freddie. "When demand is high, the price rises. When supply is high, the price drops."

Freddie's goal is to ensure that we maintain a stable and competitive rate for our natural gas customers. His main responsibilities include scheduling deliveries on the Transcontinental Interstate Pipeline and the Piedmont Natural Gas Intrastate Pipeline; scheduling deliveries for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be trucked into our LNG Plant; and buying natural gas and liquefied natural gas for GUC.  The purchasing policy for GUC allows for long-term planning, with Freddie buying natural gas months into the future when prices are favorable.

"I really like analyzing the market to determine opportune times to purchase our gas," Freddie said. "I also enjoy working with our large industrial customers to provide their natural gas supply needs."

Originally from Martin County, Freddie found his way to Norfolk, Virginia, for electronic computer training before coming back this way to attend East Carolina University. He received his Bachelors of Science in Biology in 1989 and returned to ECU in 2001 to obtain his Master's in Business Administration. While receiving his Master's, Freddie was busy juggling work, classes, a toddler, and a newborn. "I was changing diapers and writing papers," he said.

Freddie and his wife, Sara, live here in Greenville with two children, Elizabeth and Jesse. Jesse is a freshman at ECU in the Honors College while Elizabeth is a rising senior at D.H. Conley. When Freddie is not at work, you can find him swinging his golf clubs on the golf course or vacationing on Emerald Isle.

Freddie Martin Favorites

TV Show: The Walking Dead

Snack: Reeses

Team: ECU

Movie: The Blues Brothers