FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Community Service Stations, a distributor of branded and unbranded motor fuels in the Northeast and a convenience-store pioneer, is celebrating its 100th year in business.
The company, founded in 1918 in Boston by George C. Riley Sr. and his partner Paul Strang, is run today by Riley’s grandson, Chris Riley, who represents the third generation of Rileys to run the business.
“I believe our longevity can be credited to the way that our employees and management focus on helping customers improve their business. Whether the issue is supply, capital improvements, financing, environmental or c-store expertise, our sales and office staff have ably assisted our customer base for decades,” said Chris Riley.
“We are very honored to have achieved the 100-year milestone, particularly as a family-owned company,” he said. “We see a lot of opportunities and challenges in the future, but we feel sure that Community and its customers will adapt and thrive as we move forward, just as we have over the past century.”
History
The company grew from a single gas station that provided auto repair services, gasoline and parking to a retail and wholesale supplier of heating oil and kerosene to its current focus on the wholesale distribution of gasoline and diesel fuels.
“Community is one of the oldest ExxonMobil customers in the nation,” said Riley. “We branded one of the first Socony sites in Boston and have always been 100% committed to ExxonMobil programs and initiatives.” Socony was a predecessor of Mobil.
Through its brand-fee agreement with ExxonMobil, Community Service Stations has assumed responsibilities including product sourcing, terminal agreements and supplying former ExxonMobil distributors.
The company expanded into the sale of kerosene for home heating, an additional gas station and then the building and operating of a bulk heating oil and kerosene distribution depot. During the Depression and World War II, the company added another location and continued expanding its retail kerosene and wholesale heating oil distribution channels.
Community Service Stations expanded its focus on retail and wholesale heating oil and added storage capabilities. The business transitioned entirely to the Riley family in the late 1960s when co-founder Strang sold his ownership to Riley. At that point, the company moved more into the wholesale gasoline market with a new sales force.
Chris Riley, the company’s current president, joined the firm in 1979. Community Service Stations more than doubled its retail heating oil business with the purchase of Marlco Inc. in 1982. It moved its headquarters to the Marlborough, Mass., offices of Marlco in 1984. It sold Marlco and the original heating oil accounts in 1990. After this, the company focused on gasoline and diesel wholesale distribution.
As the retail gas business shifted to the convenience-store model in the 1980s, Community Service Stations began working with customers to help them plan, develop and finance their c-stores. In the mid-1980s, it was one of the first Mobil-branded distributors to encourage independent dealers to rebuild bay sites and full-serve fuel islands into c-stores and self-serve pumpers. Between 1985 and 2017, the company invested more than $20 million to help fund customers’ transition to the new model, it said. Also, it was an early adopter of Mobil's mystery shopper program, On the Run, Speedpass, Friendly Serve and the Gemini image.
In addition to distributing Mobil products, the company signed a supply contract with Gulf Oil LP in 1999 and started to sell product to a few unbranded locations.
Community Service Stations, now based in Framingham, Mass., helps independent petroleum retailers with site purchases, razing and rebuilding sites, financing of improvements, management of sales and marketing efforts, assisting with environmental and regulatory issues and the selling and leasing of sites.
Photo courtesy of Community Service Stations.
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