NEWBURYPORT, Mass. -- As part of a lender-ordered auction, 16 former Irving Oil locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire went on the auction block Tuesday, according to a report in The Daily News of Newburyport.
"C.K. Smithwas the owner and operator of 23 Irving-branded gas stations, and they decided to stop selling gas as part of their business model," Irving spokesperson Liza Dube told the newspaper. "They are a longstanding home-heat company that added fuel sales and chose to get out of that side of business."
Portland, Maine-based Tranzon Auction [image-nocss] Properties was engaged by TD Bank to market and auction the locations, which were previously owned by Worcester, Mass.-based fuel supplier C.K. Smith & Co. Inc.
Rob Germinara, owner of Germinara Oila heating oil, biofuel, diesel and propane business in Newburyport, Mass.bought a location in Newburyport for $281,000 and plans to reopen it before the end of the summer.
"I think it's a great forward leap for me," Germinara told the newspaper. "Even though the building doesn't look like much, it's in fantastic shape inside. It's a diamond in the rough."
Though this is his first gas station, he believes it's a step in the right direction. He plans to keep the kiosk and possibly renovate it to a small convenience store, and is contemplating offering biodiesel at the station.
"As well as it did before, I think I can take it to a whole other level," he said. "I want to bring it up to higher standards of appearance and try to make it a first-class operation."
It was previously reported in early February that C.K. Smith closed its 23 Irving-branded gas stations and c-stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire due to financial problems.
The other assets to be auctioned are in Barre, Bourne, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Holbrook, Hopkinton, Kingston, Leicester, Marshfield, Plymouth, Raynham, Westport (two sites), and Milford, N.H.
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