Jacksons Food Stores (Jackson Oil)

Begun as one store in 1975 by John Jackson, a Shell and Chevron/Texaco marketer, Jacksons Food Stores Inc., has more than 200 owned-and-operated stores in four states. Jacksons is the third-largest privately held corporation in Idaho and includes the chain of stores, as well as Jackson Oil Co. and Capitol Distributing. The range of communities hosting Jacksons Food Stores spans major urban areas, such as Portland, Ore., and Seattle, to rural areas such as Ashton, Idaho. In addition to its stores, the company delivers fuel to dealers in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

In February 2013 the company purchased Pettit Oil's branded dealer business in the Pacific Northwest, bringing the number of its branded retail sites to more than 700 in eight states.

The company's growth strategy is acquisition, but CEO John Jackson says the chain is careful to select stores that fit its geographic footprint. Jacksons Food Stores also has its own grocery distribution and so avoids markets where it doesn’t yet have critical mass, which would build in unnecessary cost, according to Jackson.