LONDON & BURLINGTON, Ont. -- Gulf Oil International U.K. Ltd. has signed a long-term brand use license agreement with XTR Energy Co. Ltd. Frank Rutten, Gulf Oil vice president for international, and Ken Wootton, XTR president, signed the deal at the recent Le Mans 24-Hour race, and the partnership plans to bring Gulf-branded gas stations back to Canada after an absence of 30 years.
“XTR, under the guidance of its president Ken Wootton has all the experience required to undertake the task of rolling out the Gulf network across Canada over the next few years and once again bring the familiar orange disc Gulf logo back to the highways of Canada,” said Gulf Oil international business development manager Paul Stannard. “Gulf service stations are already present in 20 countries and Gulf Oil International is committed to growing networks in as many countries as possible throughout the world; therefore, the new entry in Canada is another step towards achieving this target.”
Conversations are currently underway with a number of potential customers, and the first Gulf retail site in Canada is already up and running, the companies said.
“We are extremely excited about representing Gulf for retail petroleum in the Canadian market,” said Wootton. “The Gulf brand has a strong reputation and will provide us a competitive advantage when talking with potential new sites. We have come out of the gate strong, and have opened our first Gulf site only days after contract signing, with many more sites under active solicitation.”
He added, “We still need to build out the full implementation model and loyalty programs to attract sites and customers, but the research is already well underway.”
The Gulf brand has been defunct here since Petro-Canada absorbed it in an $886-million deal in 1985, according to a report by The Globe & Mail.
XTR provides petroleum to approximately 150 independently operated gas stations in Canada, many in rural areas. The company now wants to move into urban markets with a more recognizable brand.
“Anyone over the age of 40 will remember the round orange disk,” Wootton told the newspaper. “They would have the memory of a brand you can trust. There is some nostalgia to it.”
The finishing touches are currently being put on the first station to sign on, in Port Colborne, Ontario. The company is targeting 20 new locations in the next year, and 100 within five years, said the report.
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.