APPLETON, Wis. -- U.S. Venture Inc. has acquired Cayuga, Ind.-based SEE USA Co.'s branded wholesale fuel business that supplies 24 convenience stores throughout central Indiana and parts of Illinois.
"We're excited about this acquisition as it furthers our goal to expand U.S. Venture's footprint in the Midwest," said Steve Quinette, vice president of branded sales for U.S. Venture, Appleton, Wis. "Adding SEE USA accelerates our efforts to regionalize our services in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan as well as lay the groundwork to expand our operations eastward into Pennsylvania and New York."
SEE USA is a subsidiary of SJC Inc. and was founded in the 1990s.
"We're proud to have built SEE USA into a successful business that has operated for more than 20 years," said SJC Inc. president Roger Distler. "I'm pleased to have U.S. Venture acquire the business. U.S. Venture has an excellent reputation and will continue to build upon the great products and services SEE USA's clients have come to expect. This is truly a positive for all involved."
This is the second acquisition for U.S. Venture in Indiana, following the May 2012, acquisition of TrueBlood Oil's branded dealer business in Indiana. "This new acquisition aligns well with U.S. Venture's efforts to expand its overall market share in the Midwest," Quinette said. "We are continuing to look for new opportunities that will help us broaden our reach and accelerate our growth strategies
Separately, U.S. Venture's U.S. Oil subsidiary in early March acquired six compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations from We Energies. The stations, two in Milwaukee, and one each in Appleton, Franklin, Racine and Waukesha, Wis., bring U.S. Oil's total to eight GAIN Clean Fueling stations located in Wisconsin.
In addition to the acquisition, a ninth GAIN station, currently under construction in Green Bay, will be open for service in April. U.S. Oil is also seeking to locate additional GAIN fueling stations in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.
"We believe CNG is the fuel of the future, and U.S. Oil is committed to making it a realistic and successful fuel alternative," says Mike Koel, U.S. Oil's vice president of business development. "CNG provides a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fuels, and our goal is to create a network of stations that link markets, allowing more trucking companies to utilize CNG."
U.S. Venture is a leading energy and transportation products distributor and marketer. An independent, family-owned business, it operates in the Midwest through several divisions: U.S. Oil (bulk storage terminals, wholesale and branded distribution of petroleum products, multiple-brand c-store jobbership and gas station-related real-estate), Express Convenience Stores, U.S. AutoForce (tires and automotive parts), U.S. Lubricants, U.S. Petroleum Equipment, Design Air (heating, ventilation and air conditioning wholesaler), Custom Manufacturing (manufacturing and supplying metal tubing for the automotive, furniture and lawn and garden industries). Located throughout Wisconsin, Express Convenience Centers offer locally formulated fuel, as well as c-stores with clean restrooms, quick-serve food, coffee and a variety of groceries and beverages.
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