DENVER -- Jack C. Pester, chairman of Pester Marketing Co., Denver, was recently presented with the Distinguished Marketer Award by the Society of Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA).
Given periodically by the association to an individual who has made significant contributions and impact within the independent sector of the petroleum marketing industry, the award recognizes Pester, who--with more than 60 years of industry experience--has successfully built one of the most diversified convenience retail and petroleum marketing companies in the United States.
Pester accepted the award at SIGMA's annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C. In his acceptance speech, he described how he was "fortunate" to become involved in association work early in his career. "Association involvement gave me an opportunity to learn and develop," he said. Further acknowledging the importance of industry associations like SIGMA and NACS, Pester said, "These organizations and the information and forum they provide us is a must to stay relevant in the future."
In the 1960s and 1970s, Pester turned a small family-owned Iowa business into a vertically integrated, regional marketing and refining company with 220 service stations located in 11 Midwestern and Rocky Mountain states and a 35,000-barrels-per-day refinery in El Dorado, Kansas.
Pester sold the business to Coastal Corp. in 1987 and moved to Houston to join Coastal's senior management team where he retired in 1999 as senior vice president of international refining and marketing.
In 1994 in anticipation of Pester's retirement from Coastal in 1999, Pester Marketing reacquired seven Denver-area stores from Coastal. Now Pester Marketing has expanded to include 58 convenience stores, known as Alta Convenience, and a wholesale fuels division, Alta Fuels. Pester Marketing also owns and operates its own fuel transportation company, Alta Transportation, and carries a full-line of ExxonMobil lubes through Alta Lubricants. With operations in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico, the company has re-emerged as a leading petroleum marketer.
With more than 500 employees, Pester Marketing Co. recently established an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Now with 11% of the company employee-owned, Pester has helped set the course of the company to ensure its continuity and future.
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.