"This particular transaction closed May 19," Shell spokesperson Karyn Leonardi-Cattolica told CSP Daily News, confirming that 15 sites were transferred to RM Petroleum. "This is part of Shell's vision of being [image-nocss] the best fuels supplier in the United States, hence the transition of direct-delivered sites to wholesale delivered."
The terms of the agreement do not permit disclosing the price, Leonardi-Cattolica said.
RM Petroleum intends to supply the acquired locations with Shell-branded motor fuels and to operate or lease the locations under the Shell brand, the company said.
Revealing his customer service-oriented operating philosophy, Robert Stambolic, the principal of RM Petroleum and a longtime retailer and petroleum jobber, said, "I feel the public is more comfortable with and supports a strong petroleum brand and will continue to make petroleum and convenience store purchases when a store is maintained with attention to customer service and strong operating guidelines, including cleanliness and safety."
RM Petroleum already owns or operates other Shell-branded locations in Illinois and Wisconsin and intends to continue expanding the Shell brand presence to other nearby markets where appropriate, it added.
Expansion plans include building "new-to-industry" locations and converting existing retail gasoline locations to the Shell brand, RM Petroleum said, adding that it "welcomes retailers and real-estate professionals to partner in such expansions."
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