SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Pride Stations & Stores purchased three gas stations owned by Inland Gasoline Stations Inc. on Monday for an undisclosed price.
The three stations were sold by the owners of Inland Gasoline, James M. Burek, 63, and Joseph W. Burek, 70, because they are ready to retire and we have no one in the family to leave it to, James Burek, treasurer, told The Republican.
The Bureks started their gas station business in 1963, James Burek said, and at one point had a dozen stations, but were down to the three they [image-nocss] just sold. Burek said Inland employed 15 people. A dozen people working at the stations will remain, and he will stay on a month or two to help with the transition, he said.
Robert L. Bolduc, president of Springfield, Mass.-based Pride, told the newspaper that he bought the three stations because we wanted to continue growing and they were available for sale, and so we purchased them.
The purchase will bring Pride's stable of stations to 21, with four more under construction and due to open next year in Ludlow, Springfield and Westfield, Mass.
Bolduc said convenience stores will be added at the three Inland stations in 2008. The CITGO signs at the stations will be converted to the Pride name, he added.
Each of the stations has about an acre of land, Bolduc said.
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