FORREST CITY, Ark. -- U.S. Oil recently completed the second of five compressed natural gas (CNG) stations it is building in partnership with Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc., one of the nation's largest distributors and marketers of consumer goods in North America. The GAIN Clean Fuel station in Forrest City, Ark., will be open to all CNG fleets and the public.
Core-Mark's commitment to a CNG program began with an initial conversion of its fleet. Today, more than 140 of its CNG tractors are on the road, and it expects another 60 by the middle of next year. In addition to the Arkansas location, it expects to open three more GAIN Clean Fuel stations near other Core-Mark divisions by second-quarter 2015: Sanford, N.C.; Smyrna, Ga; and Tampa, Fla.
"We are encouraged by the progress we continue to make with our partner U.S. Oil," said Thomas B. Perkins, president and CEO of Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc. "Purchasing more environmentally friendly and less-expensive fuel is an important component of our operational strategy."
This newest GAIN station will replace the equivalent of 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel in the next year and more than 1.5 million gallons in the next five years, the companies projected.
U.S. Oil plans to have more than 100 GAIN Clean Fuel stations operating within the next three years.
"Our goal is to have a GAIN network in place that will provide easy access to CNG for local, regional and national carriers," said Erick Johnson, business development manager for GAIN Clean Fuel. "To achieve this, we are actively seeking partnerships with carriers that are looking to benefit by converting their fleets to CNG."
U.S. Oil is a division of U.S. Venture Inc., a privately held company and a leading energy and transportation products distributor and marketer in North America. For more than 60 years, U.S. Oil has been a leader in the distribution of petroleum and more recently, renewable energy products. Its business brands include GAIN Clean Fuel and Express Convenience Centers.
U.S. Venture, Appleton, Wis., has announced that it is selling its 10 remaining company-owned Express Convenience Centers in the Fox Valley and Green Bay areas of Wisconsin over the coming months, transitioning its franchised locations to a licensing model.
GAIN Clean Fuel is a leading CNG provider. Its stations provide easy-access, fast-fill capabilities and are strategically located for carriers along major shipping corridors.
South San Francisco, Calif.-based Core-Mark is one of the largest marketers of fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience store industry in North America. Founded in 1888, Core-Mark offers a full range of products, marketing programs and technology to approximately 33,000 customer locations in the United States and Canada through 29 distribution centers. Core-Mark services traditional convenience store retailers, grocers, drug, liquor and specialty stores and other stores that carry convenience products.
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