Fuels

Motiva in JV with SMO

Shell, Wills units form Potomac Energy Holdings, which has acquired 73 retail sites
LA PLATA, Md. -- Motiva Enterprises LLC, which markets Shell-branded gasoline in the eastern and southern United States, has entered into a joint venture agreement with SMO Inc. an affiliate of The Wills Group Inc., a La Plata, Md.-based branded wholesaler. The new entity will be called Potomac Energy Holdings LLC. The company has acquired 73 existing Shell-branded retail locations in Maryland, primarily in Montgomery, Prince George's and Howard counties near Washington, D.C.

Although he would not comment on the deal's price tag, Mel Strineexecutive vice president of retail [image-nocss] marketing for The Wills Group and the president of the newly formed Potomac Energy Holdings, as well as of SMO and Dash In Food Stores Inc.told CSP Daily News that all of the retail sites are "part of a mature market."

He added, "About half the locations are bays and the rest are convenience stores, all branded Shell. All are dealer operations. We have set aside over $3 million to make immediate improvements in PCI and other equipment upgrades."

The sites will continue to operate under the Shell brand and will continue to sell Shell-branded fuels. SMO will provide management oversight of the locations as a part of its partnership with Motiva.

The Wills Group supplies more than 300 dealer-operated stations throughout the mid-Atlantic region through its affiliate SMO. It provides unique offerings to dealers and customers, like Dash In Food Store franchising and its 5 Cents Off Thursday's programs.

Lock Wills, the president and CEO of Wills Group, said of this most recent acquisition, "This latest purchase is a new venture for us in working with Shell as our financial partner. We are excited about the opportunity and looking forward to building the value of the Shell brand experience for customers."

This agreement underscores Motiva's operational strategy to leverage strategic business arrangements with strong local wholesalers to grow the Shell brand, the company said.

Potomac Energy Holdings is also headquartered in La Plata.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Foodservice

Opportunities Abound With Limited-Time Offers

For success, complement existing menu offerings, consider product availability and trends, and more, experts say

Snacks & Candy

How Convenience Stores Can Improve Meat Snack, Jerky Sales

Innovation, creative retailers help spark growth in the snack segment

Technology/Services

C-Stores Headed in the Right Direction With Rewards Programs

Convenience operators are working to catch up to the success of loyalty programs in other industries

Trending

More from our partners