Englefield Oil Co. (Duchess Shoppes)

Englefield Oil first opened its doors in 1961, when F.W. “Bill” Englefield III started three service stations. The company’s Duchess Shoppes convenience store brand appeared in 1970. The regional iconic brand has since grown into a chain of more than 120 c-stores throughout Ohio, and one in West Virginia, that are known for being family-owned.

In late 2008, Englefield boosted its store count in the Columbus, Ohio, market with the acquisition of 43 franchised ampm stores from BP. Stores have been rebranded as Duchess Shoppes and are no longer franchises.

The BP deal strengthened Englefield’s proprietary Duchess brand on top of increasing the company’s overall buying power and allowing it to reach deeper into a high-volume metropolitan market such as Columbus. The company also operates four oil-lube facilities, four Taco Bell Expresses, two Subways, one Long John Silvers and seven unattended Pacific Pride cardlocks, among other businesses. All except three stores pump BP fuel, with the remaining being privately branded.

The company’s “Duchess Fuel Saver” reward program lets customers earn cents off per gallon of gas by purchasing specific in-store items. The company also distributes fuel to 15 independent dealer locations.