All but two of the locations will operate under the Irving banner with Circle K convenience stores. The Falmouth and North Windham locations, which will be managed by Nouria Energy beginning December 10, will continue to be operated as Lil' Marts.
"Irving has a long, positive [image-nocss] relationship with Webber Energy," Irving spokesperson Lars Trodson told CSP Daily News. "Webber decided to exit the convenience store operations business and focus on their home heat and wholesale gasoline businesses. Irving is going to continue to own good convenience store real estate and we have great managers such as Couche-Tard and Nouria to operate the sites."
Webber Energy Fuels, founded in 1935 with four employees and two delivery trucks, is now one of the largest and most progressive fuel companies in New England. Before the deal with Irving Oil, it operated 17 gas stations and convenience stores, mostly in Maine, with one in New Hampshire.
"All these sites are in great geographic locations, and with the possible exception of the building in Bangor, and rebuilding the site in Falmouth, we have no specific plans to change these sites," Trodson added.
"This is an exciting time to be continuing to grow in Maine. We were pleased to work with Mike Shea and his team at Webber Energy, and to now supply fuel to these excellent locations. Our commitment to offering clean fuels to customers throughout Maine, along with an unparalleled dedication to customer service and satisfaction, will provide an excellent experience for any resident or visitor to the state who stops by one of these locations," Harry Hadiaris, general manager of Irving Oil Marketing Inc., said in a statement.
"Webber Energy has been proud to serve the people of Maine for more than 70 years, and the reason we were able to reach an agreement with Irving Oil Marketing is that we know they share the same commitment," Shea, president of Bangor, Maine-based Webber Energy, said in the statement. "It's never an easy decision to let go of something you've built up over the years, but we couldn't be happier that Irving is taking the reins at these locations."
Founded in 1924, Irving Oil is a leading regional refining and marketing company that serves retail, commercial, industrial and residential customers in Eastern Canada, headquartered in St. John, New Brunswick, and New England, headquartered in Portsmouth, N.H., with a range of finished energy products and complementary services. The company offers fuel at more than 700 locations in Atlantic Canada and New England, including company-operated, leased and independent sites.
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