Englefield Oil, based in Heath, Ohio, opened its doors in 1961, when chairman F.W. "Bill" Englefield III opened three service stations, which he operated out of his home. The company's Duchess Shoppes appeared in 1970. The now-iconic Duchess brand has since grown into a chain of more than 120 c-stores throughout Ohio and one in West Virginia.
The company plans to open two new stores in 2016, and both will have a Subway. Twelve stores were remodeled in 2015 with new paint, LED lighting, updated shelving and a small sit-down area. It also added fryers at each of the 12 stores for a proprietary fried chicken offer.
The company also distributes fuel to 15 independent dealer locations. In fall 2014, Englefield installed a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station at one store, in partnership with IGS CNG Services, a developer of CNG fueling locations. Englefield says it likely won't be the last.
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 Express sites, two Subways, one Long John Silvers and seven unattended Pacific Pride cardlocks, among other businesses.
| Headquarters: | Heath, Ohio |
|---|---|
| No. of Stores: | 122 |
| Average Store Size: | 1,000-2,500 sq. ft. |
| Rank: | 59 |
| Rank Last Year: | 67 |
| States of Operation: | Ohio, West Virginia |
| Website: | http://www.duchessshoppe.com |
| Family Business: | Yes |
