COLUMBIA, Mo. -- MFA Oil Co., the seventh largest propane retailer in the United States, has acquired S&S Oil & Propane Co. Inc. (S&S), a propane, refined fuels and lubricants retailer based in Emporia, Kansas. The deal includes 17 propane storage facilities, five bulk fuel storage facilities, five card refueling locations and an office in Emporia.
This is MFA Oil’s fourth acquisition of its fiscal year, which began Sept. 1, 2015. Previous acquisitions include Lybarger Oil Inc. in Garnett, Kansas, Elaine Petroleum Distribution Inc. in Elaine, Ark., and R&S Propane Inc. in Dibble, Okla.
“This is a major acquisition that will significantly broaden our business in Kansas and fits in well with the Lybarger Oil purchase we made in Sept. 2015,” said Don Smith, MFA Oil director of mergers and acquisitions. “The volume of business we’ve acquired from S&S and Lybarger is larger than all of MFA Oil’s previous bulk fuel and propane acquisitions for the last five years combined.”
Acquiring S&S has added 5.2 million gallons of annual propane sales and 5.1 million gallons of annual refined fuel sales to the company. S&S covers a 24-county trade territory stretching from Kansas’ eastern border to the Wichita, Kansas, outskirts and from Interstate 70 southbound to U.S. Highway 54.
“MFA Oil has extensive experience working with rural communities and their commitment to customers mirrors what we’ve practiced with our clientele for almost 60 years,” said Joyce French, S&S vice president and co-owner. “My brother, [S&S president and co-owner] Jim Shepherd, and I are excited to find such a reputable company to continue servicing our customers in the future.”
MFA Oil plans to continue evaluating acquisition opportunities in its existing market area and other states where it can expand its footprint.
“We’re really excited about the high-quality portfolio of assets we’ve been able to acquire recently,” said Jon Ihler, MFA Oil vice president of sales and marketing. “These acquisitions bring great value to our member-owners and great opportunities for us to grow in the future.”
Columbia, Mo.-based MFA Oil Co. is a farmer-owned cooperative with more than 40,000 members. The company is the largest supplier of propane in Missouri and created the Break Time convenience stores in 1985 through its subsidiary, MFA Petroleum, which also operates the Big O Tire and Jiffy Lube franchises in mid-Missouri. In addition to propane, MFA Oil also sells fuels and lubricants to customers in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Iowa, many through unmanned fuel lots throughout the region. There are 78 Break Time c-stores in Missouri and Arkansas.
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