As reported in a Morgan Keegan/CSP Daily News Flash yesterday, F. L. Roberts bought back the dozen station properties, including seven car washes, that it originally sold to Sunoco nearly two decades ago.
The 19 acquired business operations in western Massachusetts include eight Sunoco company-operated stations [image-nocss] with four F.L. Roberts-operated Golden Nozzle car washes on site and four F.L. Roberts-operated stations with three F.L. Roberts-operated Golden Nozzle car washes on site.
All sites officially opened under the local company's ownership yesterday.
"It is extremely exciting for me personally to repurchase these properties, most of which our family bought and developed over the past 30 years," said Steven M. Roberts, president. "We are also looking forward to expanding our relationship with Sunoco Inc., while at the same time offering F.L. Roberts and Sunoco brand gasoline customers more opportunities to benefit from our new customer rewards program as well as our partnership with Big Y."
The fourth-generation, 90-year-old family company has recently closed and/or sold six locations, but with the addition of the new Sunoco stations, its holdings in the gas and convenience business have held at approximately 30 locations. In total, F.L. Roberts operates 34 stations in western Massachusetts and Connecticut, in addition to its other businesses, which include truck refueling facilities, Golden Nozzle Car Washes, Jiffy Lube service centers and the Whately Diner.
The majority of the gas and convenience locations in the F.L. Roberts network of automotive services are branded Sunoco, Mobil or Valero. In addition, five of the Roberts gas stations bear the company's name and sell F. L. Roberts brand gasoline.
The F.L. Roberts RewardsPLUS card allows customers to earn points at F.L. Roberts' businesses that can be redeemed for discounts on gasoline. The company has also partnered with grocery chain Big Y and accepts their "coins" for additional savings at the pump.
The 12 gas station and seven car wash properties F.L. Roberts purchased from Sunoco include: Chicopee Sunoco, Chicopee (car wash on site). East Longmeadow Sunoco, East Longmeadow (car wash on site). Feeding Hills Sunoco, Feeding Hills. Ludlow Sunoco, Ludlow. Sumner Ave Sunoco, Springfield. Breckwood Sunoco, Springfield. Boston Road Sunoco, Springfield (car wash on site). Armory Street Sunoco, Springfield (car wash on site). Longhill Sunoco, Springfield (car wash on site). Westfield Sunoco, Westfield (car wash on site). Westfield Street Sunoco, West Springfield (car wash on site). West Springfield Sunoco, West Springfield.
Since 1920, F.L. Roberts has done business in western Massachusetts and in 90 years has expanded to more than 500 employees and 60 sites. In 2010, F.L. Roberts launched its RewardsPLUS customer rewards program as a way to help consumers save at the pump for gas, convenience store and automotive services.
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