THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Gulf Oil LP's new partnership with Petroleum Wholesale LP, which calls for the immediate rebranding of 50 gas stations in the Houston area and for adding 15 new Gulf locations each year for the next 10 years, brings Gulf full circle to the company's birthplace of Spindletop, Texas, in 1901.
As reported in a Morgan Keegan/CSP Daily News Flash yesterday, less that a year since announcing its return to its Texas roots, Gulf Oil announced that it is continuing its expansion in the Lone Star state.
Gulf Oil returned to Texas in July 2011 through a partnership with MTG Management of Central Texas for the branding of five gas stations in and around Austin (see Related Content below for previous coverage).
A 41-year-old, privately held, full-service distributor, Petroleum Wholesale offers branded and wholesale motor fuels to retail convenience stores and travel centers in 10 states in the southwestern United States.
Based in The Woodlands, Texas, it is a legacy Gulf distributor dating back to the 1970s.
"When we flew the Gulf Oil flag again outside Austin last year, it was just the beginning of our goal to restore the brand to prominence here," said Gulf Oil senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer Rick Dery. "We are proud to have such a warm welcome home, where Gulf Oil was born over 110 years ago, and are committed to supporting the brand and our partners for our mutual growth and success."
Gulf Oil pioneered the concept of branded product sales in Texas in the early 20th century by selling gasoline in containers and from pumps marked with the distinctive orange disc Gulf logo. Customers during this period sought out Gulf branded stations because they were assured of the quality and consistency of its gasoline. Quality and consistency remain the hallmarks of the company.
"We are proud to be part of bringing Gulf Oil back to Southeast Texas after an absence of over 20 years," said Petroleum Wholesale vice president Richard Osburn. "Gulf is a trusted, nostalgic and iconic brand as well as a terrific business partner. We know that drivers throughout the region will welcome the opportunity to fill up their tanks with Gulf gas once again."
In 1986, Cumberland Farms acquired the naming rights to the Gulf Oil brand from Chevron to be used in 11 northeast states. In 1993, Gulf Oil LP was formed after Cumberland Farms entered a joint venture with Catamount Petroleum LP. In 2005, Cumberland Farms acquired the company in full and brought in CEO Joe Petrowski, who charged the company with reinventing the brand. Since then, a renewed commitment to the Gulf brand has been established with the introduction of new minimum standards and image requirements.
On January 12, 2010, Gulf Oil acquired all rights, title and interest to the "Gulf" brand in the United States. This acquisition enabled Gulf to expand its use of the Gulf brand throughout the country for the first time since it acquired certain rights to the brand in 1986.
In 2010, Gulf Oil re-entered the states of Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. In 2011, it re-entered Texas; and in 2012, it re-entered Arkansas.
Gulf Oil has grown its presence to more than 2,500 branded retail locations in 23 states plus the District of Columbia since January 2010.
Framingham, Mass.-based Gulf Oil is a national, branded supplier of motor fuels throughout the United States and its territories. Gulf remains one of the Northeast's largest wholesalers of refined petroleum products and is well on its way up the rankings in the rest of the country, too. Gulf Oil distributes motor fuels through a network of more than 2,500 branded gasoline retail centers , 12 proprietary oil terminals and more than 130 other supply points. Gulf Oil supplies gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel and kerosene through its terminal network.
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