Gate Petroleum
Encyclopedia
Gate Petroleum is a privately held diversified corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida
, the 11th largest in Florida in 2010. In FY 2008, the company ranked #338 on the Forbes
list of America's Largest Private Companies. According to Forbes, it had sales of $1.44 billion and employed approximately 3,500 people, while Jacksonville Business Journal indicated 2,200 employees in that same year.
started the company in 1960 with a single gas station on Jacksonville's Northside. The company grew during the 1960s with additional stations in the southeast United States. The name "Gate" comes from the city of Jacksonville's slogan, "The Gateway to Florida".
In response to the 1973 oil crisis
, the company began to diversify and added convenience items to their filling station shelves.
Filling stations and convenience stores are still the core business of the company, which operates from a 57000 sq ft (5,295.5 m²) corporate headquarters in Mandarin.
John Peyton
, the oldest son of company founder Herb Peyton, took an eight year leave from Gate to serve two terms as Jacksonville's mayor from 2003 to 2011.
In Jacksonville, Gate is Northeast Florida's 16th-largest private sector employer.
national partnership of companies that provide precast concrete products and services.
Gate Precast manufactures architectural precast concrete
at facilities in Kissimmee, Florida
; Monroeville, Alabama
; Oxford, North Carolina
; Ashland City, Tennessee
; Dallas, Texas
; Winchester, Kentucky
and until they closed due to lack of market demand, Little Rock, Arkansas
and Sarasota, Florida
.
Gate Concrete Products manufactures structural precast
and hollow core concrete fabrication at facilities in Jacksonville, Florida and Pearland, Texas
.
, the 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) former estate of Alfred I. du Pont
, was developed into the Epping Forest Yacht Club and the Epping Forest gated community
, comprising 90-$1 million homes and 80+ condominiums.
Other real estate projects have included Deerwood Park, a 1000 acres (4 km²) office park on the south side of Jacksonville, the adjacent 250 acres (1 km²) Southpoint Office Park, the Shops at Ponte Vedra, the Shops at Bartram Walk, Riverplace Tower
(28 stories currently bearing the Wachovia name) and the 5400 acres (21.9 km²) Cummer Trust Property in northern St. Johns County
. Kendall Town at Regency was Gate's most recent development endeavor.
Gate Maritime Properties (GMP) handles waterfront industrial land, primarily at Blount Island
. In 1986, the United States Marine Corps
established the Biennial Maintenance Command (BMC) at Blount Island, Jacksonville, Florida on 262 acres (1.1 km²) leased from GMP for $11 million per year. The lease between GMP and the Marine Corps was due to end in 2004, so in 2000, the Corp stated their intention to purchase the property when the lease expired. The Marine Corps budget included $115.7 million for the acquisition, but extended negotiations did not result in an agreement. Gate contended that the land was worth between $160 million and $200 million, so in August 2004, the Marine Corps seized 1100 acres (4.5 km²) on Blount Island (Gate's entire Blount Island holdings) by eminent domain
and paid $101 million (later increased to $160 million). When land is seized for uses that benefit the public, the government is required to pay landowners "just compensation", so Gate asked for a jury to decide the land's value. On November 14, 2005, a jury determined that the government should pay $160 million for the parcel.
Ponte Vedra Club Realty is a full service real estate company in business since 1937.
Gate Title Company offers title insurance and closing services in north Florida. Their first office opened in December 2006 at Ponte Vedra with a staff of 4.
s in 6 states. The retail management utilizes Retalix software and is split into two divisions. The southern division in Jacksonville includes Gate stores in Florida, and the northern division, managed from Charlotte
, controls the stores in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.
Gate Fleet Service is a fleet management tool to provide control of purchases and increased driver accountability. The Universal Card is affiliated with Voyager, accepted at 200,000+ locations. The Gate Private Label Card is accepted at all Gate stores.
Gate Fuel Service distributes fuel throughout Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana, including convenience stores owned by Gate Petroleum.
Gate Lubricants, initiated in September 2003, supplies lubricants and hydraulic fluid to commercial customers in north and central Florida.
, the 15K US National championship race that attracts more than 15,000 runners each year—the largest 15K in the USA. Another big event is the Gate Open, a charity golf tournament for the area’s best amateur and professional golfers.
, was named President and Chairman of the GATE Foundation. The foundation’s first major gift was $100,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters
(BBBS) of Northeast Florida.
The Gate Open in 2009 provided $75,000 for the Police Athletic League
in St. Johns and Duval counties.
A total of $36,000 was raised during April, 2010 for the American Red Cross
through Gate's in-store, fund-raising campaign, an annual event.
officials reached an agreement in early 2004 for Gate to build a $160 million ethanol plant on 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) north of White Springs, Florida
. The plant would have the capacity to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol annually and employ almost 50. In late 2006, the company announced that due to soaring costs of construction and the fluctuation in the price of ethanol, their original plan was no longer viable and would be scrapped.
In October, 2007 Gate Biofuels announced plans to construct a terminal at the port in Jacksonville to receive and store Ethanol
, which would be blended with gasoline before distribution to gas stations. Nationwide, ethanol production increased 33% from the prior year creating an oversupply because few distributors were prepared to perform the blending process. Another product under consideration is biodiesel
, which is made from natural oils. The $90 million, 55 million gallon facility will have both rail and ship capabilities and is expected to be completed in 2010.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, the 11th largest in Florida in 2010. In FY 2008, the company ranked #338 on the Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
list of America's Largest Private Companies. According to Forbes, it had sales of $1.44 billion and employed approximately 3,500 people, while Jacksonville Business Journal indicated 2,200 employees in that same year.
History
Herbert Hill PeytonHerb Peyton
Herbert Hill "Herb" Peyton is an American entrepreneur and founder of Gate Petroleum in Jacksonville, Florida, which had sales of $1.44 billion in 2008...
started the company in 1960 with a single gas station on Jacksonville's Northside. The company grew during the 1960s with additional stations in the southeast United States. The name "Gate" comes from the city of Jacksonville's slogan, "The Gateway to Florida".
In response to the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, the company began to diversify and added convenience items to their filling station shelves.
- The first alternative investment was a 500 acres (2 km²) farm in nearby Hastings, FloridaHastings, FloridaHastings is a town and agricultural center in St. Johns County, Florida, United States, southwest of St. Augustine. The population was 521 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 607.-History:...
that grew potatoes. Overall, it was a profitable investment, but the asset was eventually sold.
- Gate Roofing Company was created during 1978 in Green Cove Springs, FloridaGreen Cove Springs, FloridaGreen Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
to manufacture asphalt felt. The business was very successful and the plant was expanded and operated 24/7 before being sold to TAMKO Building Products in 1994.
- In the early 1980s, Peyton transformed the company from a petroleum retailer to a diversified conglomerate. He bought the Florida real estate holdings of Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co.Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co.Stockton, Whatley, Davin & Co. was one of the largest mortgage banking, real estate and insurance firms in the Southeast. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, they were founded as Stockton, Whatley in the late 19th century...
, which was then owned by Phillips Petroleum Company for $60 million. The purchase contained more than 16000 acres (64.7 km²) of land in northeast Florida including the Ponte Vedra Inn and ClubPonte Vedra Inn and ClubThe Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, located at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is a AAA Five Diamond Award resort and the first country club at Ponte Vedra. The 9th hole on the Ocean course has the distinction of having the first island green ever built.-History:...
, parcels at Ponte Vedra Beach, Deerwood Country ClubDeerwood Country ClubDeerwood is the oldest gated community and country club in Jacksonville, Florida. After it was established in the mid-1960s, it was the most exclusive residential area on the south side of Jacksonville and remains so today, with round-the-clock guard service at two entrances and high standards for...
, Southpoint and the Guana tract.- The first property to be sold was the 8000 acres (32.4 km²) of primitive woodlands on the Guana River. The Florida Department of Environmental ProtectionFlorida Department of Environmental ProtectionThe Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the Florida government agency charged with environmental protection.-History:...
purchased the property for $49 million that became the Guana River State ParkGuana River State ParkIn 2004 the management of Guana River State Park , located on Florida's First Coast was turned over to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve , the 25th National Estuarine Research Reserve in the United States. The pResearch Reserve is located along State Highway A1A,...
. - The initial segment of J. Turner Butler Boulevard (Florida State Road 202) was completed in 1979 and access to the Southpoint area was improved, facilitating development of the area east of Interstate 95Interstate 95Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
. Gate partnered with the Bryant Skinner Company in 1980 to create the 250 acres (1 km²) Southpoint office park.
- The first property to be sold was the 8000 acres (32.4 km²) of primitive woodlands on the Guana River. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- When manufacturer Houdaille-Duval decided to eliminate their Florida construction division in 1980, Gate purchased a Jacksonville prestressed concrete plant and five asphalt plants for $10 million. The asphalt plants were sold a year later for a significant profit. Gate then offered $1 million for Houdaille-Duval's prestressed concrete plant in Houston, which was worth twice that amount. H-D accepted the offer, and both concrete plants are still Gate Concrete assets.
- Epping ForestEpping Forest (Jacksonville, Florida)Epping Forest was an historic, estate in Jacksonville, Florida where a luxurious riverfront Mansion was built in the mid-1920s by industrialist Alfred I. du Pont and his third wife, Jessie Ball du Pont. It was added to the U.S...
, the 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) former estate of Alfred I. du PontAlfred I. du PontAlfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
, was acquired from Raymond K. MasonRaymond K. MasonRaymond K. Mason has been an American business leader for nearly sixty years, almost 40 as head of the Charter Company in Jacksonville, Florida. Charter was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984.-Personal life:...
in 1984 for $8 million. At the time, Mason was Chairman of the Charter CompanyCharter CompanyThe Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
, which was facing bankruptcy.
- Westinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs...
, who jointly developed the east side of Blount IslandBlount IslandBlount Island is an island of approximately on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, nine nautical miles west of the Atlantic Ocean. One of three public cargo facilities at the Port of Jacksonville is located there, and it is also the site of the United States Marine Corps Blount Island...
with TennecoTennecoTenneco is a $6.2 billion Fortune 500 company that has been publicly traded on the NYSE since November 5, 1999 under the symbol TEN...
in the early 1970s at a cost of $125 million in the failed Offshore Power SystemsOffshore Power SystemsOffshore Power Systems was a 1970 joint venture between Westinghouse Electric Company, which constructed nuclear generating plants, and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, which had recently merged with Tenneco, to create floating nuclear power plants at Jacksonville, Florida.-History:The MH-1A...
venture, sold the property to Gate for $17 million in 1985. In November 1990, the property's 20-year old crane, once the world's largest, was sold to the China State Shipbuilding CorporationChina State Shipbuilding CorporationThe China State Shipbuilding Corporation is one of the two largest shipbuilding conglomerates in China, the other being the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation . CSSC consists of various ship yards, equipment manufacturers, research institutes and shipbuilding related companies in China...
for $3 million. It was dismantled and shipped overseas.
- The Gulf Life Tower, one of Jacksonville's tallest buildings, was on the market for nearly three years with an asking price of $30 million. Gate purchased it from American General Insurance (now American International GroupAmerican International GroupAmerican International Group, Inc. or AIG is an American multinational insurance corporation. Its corporate headquarters is located in the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters office is on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in...
) in 1993 for less than $10 million, spent several million dollars to renovate it, and renamed it Riverplace TowerRiverplace TowerThe Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida, as well as Jacksonville, and the defining landmark in the skyline.-History:The Auchter Company,...
.
- In February 2008, Gate acquired 150 West Main Street150 West Main Street150 West Main Street is the fifth tallest building in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Norfolk's highest rated restaurant, Todd Jurich's Bistro, is located on the building's ground floor.-History:...
, a 20-story office building in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Filling stations and convenience stores are still the core business of the company, which operates from a 57000 sq ft (5,295.5 m²) corporate headquarters in Mandarin.
John Peyton
John Peyton (US politician)
John Stephens Peyton is an American businessman and politician. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 2003 to 2011. He was the second Republican to be elected to the position since 1888....
, the oldest son of company founder Herb Peyton, took an eight year leave from Gate to serve two terms as Jacksonville's mayor from 2003 to 2011.
In Jacksonville, Gate is Northeast Florida's 16th-largest private sector employer.
Building Materials
The Gate Construction Materials division consists of two companies and operates throughout the eastern, southeastern, and midwestern United States. They are members of the AltusGroupAltusGroup
AltusGroup, Inc. is a national partnership of 14 precast concrete companies and seven industry suppliers founded in July 2003 to develop, manufacture and market precast concrete innovations throughout North America....
national partnership of companies that provide precast concrete products and services.
Gate Precast manufactures architectural precast concrete
Precast concrete
By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment , the precast concrete is afforded the opportunity to properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees. Utilizing a Precast Concrete system offers many potential advantages over site casting of concrete...
at facilities in Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
; Monroeville, Alabama
Monroeville, Alabama
Monroeville is a city in Monroe County, Alabama, United States, the county seat of Monroe County. At the 2000 census its population was 6,862. It is known as the home town of two prominent writers of the post World War II period, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who were childhood friends in the...
; Oxford, North Carolina
Oxford, North Carolina
Oxford is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,461 at the 2010 census It is the county seat of Granville County.-History:...
; Ashland City, Tennessee
Ashland City, Tennessee
Ashland City is a town in Cheatham County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,641 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cheatham County.-History:Ashland City was created in 1856 as a county seat for the newly-established Cheatham County...
; Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
; Winchester, Kentucky
Winchester, Kentucky
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,724 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and until they closed due to lack of market demand, Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
.
Gate Concrete Products manufactures structural precast
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
and hollow core concrete fabrication at facilities in Jacksonville, Florida and Pearland, Texas
Pearland, Texas
Pearland , is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the US state of Texas within the metropolitan area and is in the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 37,640. As of 2008, Pearland is estimated to have a population of 90,700...
.
Resorts and Clubs
The company owns and operates four private clubs in the Jacksonville area:- Epping Forest Yacht ClubEpping Forest (Jacksonville, Florida)Epping Forest was an historic, estate in Jacksonville, Florida where a luxurious riverfront Mansion was built in the mid-1920s by industrialist Alfred I. du Pont and his third wife, Jessie Ball du Pont. It was added to the U.S...
, originally the St. Johns riverfront estate of industrialist Alfred I. du PontAlfred I. du PontAlfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
. - River Club of Jacksonville, a members-only dining establishment located in the top 2 floors of the 37-story Wells Fargo Center was purchased in March, 2004.
- Ponte Vedra Inn and ClubPonte Vedra Inn and ClubThe Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, located at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is a AAA Five Diamond Award resort and the first country club at Ponte Vedra. The 9th hole on the Ocean course has the distinction of having the first island green ever built.-History:...
, recipient of the coveted Five Diamond AwardFive Diamond awardThe AAA Five Diamond Award is the highest level of the AAA Diamond Ratings System for restaurants and lodgings administered by AAA ....
, AAA's highest hospitality honor. There are only 6 Five Diamond resorts in Florida, and 30 Five Diamond resorts in the United States. - The Lodge & Club, an American Automobile AssociationAmerican Automobile AssociationAAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
Four Diamond resort at Ponte Vedra BeachPonte Vedra Beach, FloridaPonte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
was acquired in late 1996. - Deerwood Country ClubDeerwood Country ClubDeerwood is the oldest gated community and country club in Jacksonville, Florida. After it was established in the mid-1960s, it was the most exclusive residential area on the south side of Jacksonville and remains so today, with round-the-clock guard service at two entrances and high standards for...
was owned by Gate from 1983 to 1999, when it was purchased by the club membership.
Real Estate Development
GL National (Gate Lands) is the commercial real estate division of Gate. Epping ForestEpping Forest (Jacksonville, Florida)
Epping Forest was an historic, estate in Jacksonville, Florida where a luxurious riverfront Mansion was built in the mid-1920s by industrialist Alfred I. du Pont and his third wife, Jessie Ball du Pont. It was added to the U.S...
, the 58 acres (234,717.9 m²) former estate of Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
, was developed into the Epping Forest Yacht Club and the Epping Forest gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
, comprising 90-$1 million homes and 80+ condominiums.
Other real estate projects have included Deerwood Park, a 1000 acres (4 km²) office park on the south side of Jacksonville, the adjacent 250 acres (1 km²) Southpoint Office Park, the Shops at Ponte Vedra, the Shops at Bartram Walk, Riverplace Tower
Riverplace Tower
The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida, as well as Jacksonville, and the defining landmark in the skyline.-History:The Auchter Company,...
(28 stories currently bearing the Wachovia name) and the 5400 acres (21.9 km²) Cummer Trust Property in northern St. Johns County
St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County is a county located in northeastern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 190,039. The county seat is St. Augustine. Due to the inclusion of Ponte Vedra Beach, it is one of the highest-income counties in the United States....
. Kendall Town at Regency was Gate's most recent development endeavor.
Gate Maritime Properties (GMP) handles waterfront industrial land, primarily at Blount Island
Blount Island
Blount Island is an island of approximately on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, nine nautical miles west of the Atlantic Ocean. One of three public cargo facilities at the Port of Jacksonville is located there, and it is also the site of the United States Marine Corps Blount Island...
. In 1986, the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
established the Biennial Maintenance Command (BMC) at Blount Island, Jacksonville, Florida on 262 acres (1.1 km²) leased from GMP for $11 million per year. The lease between GMP and the Marine Corps was due to end in 2004, so in 2000, the Corp stated their intention to purchase the property when the lease expired. The Marine Corps budget included $115.7 million for the acquisition, but extended negotiations did not result in an agreement. Gate contended that the land was worth between $160 million and $200 million, so in August 2004, the Marine Corps seized 1100 acres (4.5 km²) on Blount Island (Gate's entire Blount Island holdings) by eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
and paid $101 million (later increased to $160 million). When land is seized for uses that benefit the public, the government is required to pay landowners "just compensation", so Gate asked for a jury to decide the land's value. On November 14, 2005, a jury determined that the government should pay $160 million for the parcel.
Ponte Vedra Club Realty is a full service real estate company in business since 1937.
Gate Title Company offers title insurance and closing services in north Florida. Their first office opened in December 2006 at Ponte Vedra with a staff of 4.
Gate Marketing
Gate Retail Stores encompassed 225 gas and convenience storeConvenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s in 6 states. The retail management utilizes Retalix software and is split into two divisions. The southern division in Jacksonville includes Gate stores in Florida, and the northern division, managed from Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, controls the stores in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.
Gate Fleet Service is a fleet management tool to provide control of purchases and increased driver accountability. The Universal Card is affiliated with Voyager, accepted at 200,000+ locations. The Gate Private Label Card is accepted at all Gate stores.
Gate Fuel Service distributes fuel throughout Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Louisiana, including convenience stores owned by Gate Petroleum.
Gate Lubricants, initiated in September 2003, supplies lubricants and hydraulic fluid to commercial customers in north and central Florida.
Gate Sponsored Events
Gate sponsors numerous civic activities and charitable events in the Jacksonville area. The most well known is the Gate River RunGate River Run
The Gate River Run , formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual 15 kilometer road race in Jacksonville, Florida that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has been the US National Championship 15K since 1994 and in 2007 became the largest 15K race in the country...
, the 15K US National championship race that attracts more than 15,000 runners each year—the largest 15K in the USA. Another big event is the Gate Open, a charity golf tournament for the area’s best amateur and professional golfers.
Gate Foundation
On September 24, 2008, Gate Petroleum's parent company, Gate Corporation, officially announced the establishment of the GATE Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Gate companies. The announcement was made during Gate’s annual charity golf tournament at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. The 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt entity was established “to support efforts and services that nurture and protect the well-being of family and community,” according to its mission statement. Hill Peyton, son of company founder Herb PeytonHerb Peyton
Herbert Hill "Herb" Peyton is an American entrepreneur and founder of Gate Petroleum in Jacksonville, Florida, which had sales of $1.44 billion in 2008...
, was named President and Chairman of the GATE Foundation. The foundation’s first major gift was $100,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
(BBBS) of Northeast Florida.
The Gate Open in 2009 provided $75,000 for the Police Athletic League
Police Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
in St. Johns and Duval counties.
A total of $36,000 was raised during April, 2010 for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
through Gate's in-store, fund-raising campaign, an annual event.
Future
Gate Ethanol and Hamilton County, FloridaHamilton County, Florida
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,327. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,983 . Its county seat is Jasper, Florida.- History :...
officials reached an agreement in early 2004 for Gate to build a $160 million ethanol plant on 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) north of White Springs, Florida
White Springs, Florida
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828...
. The plant would have the capacity to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol annually and employ almost 50. In late 2006, the company announced that due to soaring costs of construction and the fluctuation in the price of ethanol, their original plan was no longer viable and would be scrapped.
In October, 2007 Gate Biofuels announced plans to construct a terminal at the port in Jacksonville to receive and store Ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, which would be blended with gasoline before distribution to gas stations. Nationwide, ethanol production increased 33% from the prior year creating an oversupply because few distributors were prepared to perform the blending process. Another product under consideration is biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
, which is made from natural oils. The $90 million, 55 million gallon facility will have both rail and ship capabilities and is expected to be completed in 2010.