BETSY LAYNE, Ky. -- Kentucky Oil & Refining began rebranding its stations this week, from CITGO to Marathon, reported The Appalachian News-Express.
We are in transition right now, company representative Tharon Robinson told the newspaper.
In July, the News-Express reported that CITGO Petroleum Corp. would be dropping all independent carriers in Kentucky. Station owners were told they need to have a new supplier by March 31 of next year, said the report; however, comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the United [image-nocss] Nations General Assembly in New York last month seem to have sped up the process, according to the report. Chavez called President Bush the devil.
Betsy Layne, Ky.-based Kentucky Oil & Refining owns 10 gas stations throughout Eastern Kentucky, with the majority located in Floyd County.
The decision to switch to Marathon was easy for the local company, said Robinson. Marathon is a brand we already trusted, she told the paper. We already dealt with them on a wholesale basis, so we just decided to use the retail side, as well.
The transition is already noticeable at the Coal Run location. Yesterday afternoon employees were completing the change in appearance, said the report. While the CITGO marquee remains up, the building and gasoline pumps are now covered in the Marathon blue.
The conversion is going well, Store Manager Sue Gillman told the paper. We are seeing a lot of improvements with this change.
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