Alon USA Energy Inc. said it has reopened the Big Spring, Texas refinery truck rack following an explosion and subsequent fire at facility on Feb. 18. All of the other company racks have remained operational since the explosion. The cause of the blast remains under investigation. "We are pleased with the progress we are making…
Atlas Oil Expanding Retail, Fuel Distribution Portfolio
Atlas Oil Co., a Taylor, Mich.-based fuel marketer, has acquired five convenience stores in Battle Creek, Mich., from R&J Inc. and has folded that company into its own retail segment. The transaction essentially buys out the ownership stake of R&J partners Richard Folk and John Reed, and all remaining employees at the five stations. "We…
Betting on the Franchise
7-Eleven Timeline 7-Eleven Inc. began almost 81 years ago when a Dallas ice dock operator decided to add milk, eggs and bread in response to his customers’ needs. The company’s first expansion outside Texas was into Florida. The retailer entered the franchising arena in 1964 with the acquisition of Speedee Mart, a chain of franchised…
Identifying More Effective Profit-Building Strategies
“In a business like cigars, where unit volume is growing 10% plus year-over-year, emerging strategic thinking in convenience retail suggests that retailers can grow even faster by employing a “price-for-volume” strategy for key products.” David Bishop, partner, Willard Bishop This summer, we examined how convenience retailers could manage the cigar category differently to realize above-market…
Kansas to Expand Ethanol Options
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is launching a pilot project that will allow fueling stations to install pumps that dispense a variety of ethanol blends and let consumers choose what blend they want. Almost all gas stations now have E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. All vehicles on the road…
Cleanup Continues at QuikTrip Store
Cleanup continues at a suburban St. Louis QuikTrip service station, where the Missouri Department of Natural Resources said more than 20,000 gallons of fuel leaked underground. The leak was discovered Friday, though state officials told the Associated Press they believe it began earlier last week. Crews were trying to remove gasoline from the soil and…
Shell Launches Care-Care Promotion
Building off the momentum of 2007, the Shell "Stop Gunky Build-up" advertising campaign featuring the Shell Passionate Experts will continue in 2008 with a continued focus on the company’s commitment to fuel quality. Like last year, the campaign will center around the desire to help consumers stop the build-up of engine gunk on their vehicles’…
Dutch Oil Chooses FuelQuest
Dutch Oil Co., the Columbus, Miss.-based petroleum marketer, will implement FuelQuest’s Fuel Management System (FMS) to streamline fuel distribution and fleet operations at its network of 100 company-owned and operated locations, dealer-owned stores and independent retail sites. Tommy Gilreath, CFO of The Dutch Group Cos., said the company will deploy FMS to improve complex and…
ricker oil partners with kss
Oil company to use PriceNet Mobile for fuel “pricing management on the go.” Ricker Oil Co., a 29-store chain based in Anderson, Ind., said it would use PriceNet Mobile to enhance its usage of the KSS PriceNet fuel pricing software. This software combination allows pricing decisions to be made “anywhere, anytime” via mobile devices. By…
bp continues us selloff
British oil company to franchise its remaining 700-plus stations. BP America Inc. said it will sell all of its more than 700 company-owned and -operated U.S. convenience stores over the next two years. The company said most of the sites will be sold to franchise owners, while some will be sold to dealers and large…