Mountain Express Oil Company Announces Acquisition of Convenience and Fuel Store Chain, West Hill Ranch
Acworth, GA – (March 23, 2021) Mountain Express Oil Company (“MEX” or the “Company”), an emerging leader in the fuel distribution industry, today announced the acquisition of West Hill Ranch, a high-growth convenience store brand with six current locations throughout Central Florida.
After the successful completion of a management buyout in 2020 led by Mountain Express’ Co-CEOs, Lamar Frady and Turjo Wadud, the acquisition of West Hill Ranch marks an exciting milestone for the Company. By vertically integrating MEX’s scaled fuel distribution platform with West Hill Ranch, the combined business will now operate a diversified portfolio of fuel distribution, retail operations, real estate and services segments.
West Hill Ranch was launched in early 2020 by Chase Begor and Spencer Kushner, seasoned entrepreneurs and investors with a track record of building and scaling service-oriented businesses. In founding West Hill Ranch, they observed an opportunity to scale a convenience store brand by focusing on strong customer engagement, top quality products delivered in a clean and safe environment. Following the acquisition, Begor and Kushner will respectively serve as an operating partner and retail co-president at MEX. Together, they will focus on investments in MEX’s management team, technology, infrastructure and retail operations.
“As Mountain Express continues to grow its national footprint, we are excited to partner with an innovative and fast-growing company such as West Hill Ranch,” says Lamar Frady, Co-CEO of Mountain Express Oil Company. “We look forward to bolstering MEX’s leadership with the addition of Chase and Spencer who will bring a wealth of operating experience to our organization.”
As part of the acquisition, Mountain Express Oil Company will assume the operations and rebrand all West Hill Ranch locations under the Mountain Express banner. The combined Company will be focused on expanding its retail operations platform with plans to quickly accelerate its footprint to at least 100 locations by end of 2021through the acquisition of locations throughout the U.S. “While there are certainly other convenience and fuel chain companies out there, we naturally gravitated to West Hill Ranch because of its exceptional service, forward-thinking approach and commitment to being strong anchors in the community, which aligns so strongly with our business philosophy,” said Turjo Wadud, Co-CEO of Mountain Express.
The transaction is part of an ambitious plan to redefine what consumers expect from the convenience store and fuel station experience with a shift toward dynamic destinations featuring food, beverages and other product offerings that complement the modern lifestyle and expectations of today’s consumer.
“West Hill Ranch has always been about driving traffic and serving communities as a one-stop-shop destination,” says Chase Begor, Chief Executive Officer of West Hill Ranch. “By joining Mountain Express, we’re excited about the partnership and believe we will be able to create a unique diversified fuel services business that goes beyond pure distribution capabilities.”
Founded in 2000, Mountain Express Oil Company currently owns and/or controls more than 200 gas stations and provides fuel to more than 600 stations across the United States. Looking ahead, the company is projected to own/control more than 300 stations, service nearly 800, operate nearly 100 convenience stores and manage several hundred employees by year-end 2021. This vision motivates the Mountain Express Oil Company team to go the extra mile, creating mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships and consumer experiences across the country. For more information about the company, visit, https://mountainexpressoil.com online, or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtnexpoil
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