Gulf Oil LP
Encyclopedia
Gulf Oil LP is a major American
oil
company formed when Cumberland Farms
acquired the naming rights to the Gulf Oil
brand from Chevron
in the United States in 1986. By 2010, Cumberland acquired all rights to the brand in the US, making it the sole owner and marketer in the country. Once based in Chelsea
, then Newton
, Gulf Oil LP now shares its headquarters with Cumberland Farms in Framingham, Massachusetts
.
purchased a license for North American rights to the Gulf brand from Chevron. Chevron still owned the Gulf brand, but made little use of it by 2006. Cumberland Farms then operated about 500 gas stations, 20 refined petroleum terminals; it was licensed to use Gulf trademarks and names in 11 states. In 1993, Cumberland Farms entered a joint venture with Catamount Petroleum LP, forming Gulf Oil Limited Partnership with Cumberland owning a two-thirds interest. Cumberland since acquired the company in full. Then, there were some independently-owned franchise
s operating under the Gulf brand in North America, including American Refining Group, which is licensed by Chevron to blend and distribute Gulf-branded lubricants.
Gulf Oil has sponsored major sporting events in New York City
, Boston
, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh
.
In June 2008, Gulf had 1800 stations in the northeastern US; Gulf Oil LP agreed to supply the approximately 600 Exxon stations in New England
and New York in a deal with ConocoPhillips
. The deal included Cumberland Farms buying 200 Exxon stations, but intended to keep the name. That month, The Boston Globe reported that Gulf Oil LP (which had purchased the delivery contracts for over 500 Exxon
stations in 2003 after the ExxonMobil
merger required divestment
) wanted to buy Mobil
-branded company-owned stations in the Northeast. ExxonMobil sold 820 owned-and-operated stations, plus about 1400 leased stations. Then, Gulf was the only large local brand in New England, where it had 2000 stations, supplying about 500 stations with other names, for a market share of 10 percent. The 2003 deal gave Gulf Oil exclusive rights to the Exxon name in New York and New England until February 2010, when "Exxon" would be dropped. However, in 2008 Gulf Oil decided to stop using the Exxon name in February 2009, asking independent stations to switch to Gulf. The Enterprise of Brockton, Massachusetts
reported in April 2008 that Verc Enterprises would change 14 Exxon stations in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire
to Gulf, but not its five Mobils. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority announced in summer 2007 a switch of eleven former Exxon stations on the Massachusetts Turnpike
to Gulf, and in 2009 the same change was expected to 158 Cumberland Farms owned stations, the Globe said. Gulf supplied 300 other Exxons, of which 200 would likely change to Gulf.
In New England, former Exxon
stations have been rebranded as Gulf, in accordance with the consent decree that allowed the merger of Exxon and Mobil
. Gulf had been supplying gasoline to these stations since the merger, while the company paid a fee to continue to use the Exxon name. Many of the former Exxon stations feature a rectangular logo that fit into the existing sign standards used by Exxon. Gulf refers to the look as its "sunrise" imaging. Furthering public exposure, in 2009, the clothing store chain "Old Navy
" began selling T-shirts bearing the old Gulf logo, along with the former logos of Standard Oil and Chevron.
In December 2009, Chevron USA announced it would no longer serve 1100 stations in 13 states. On January 12, 2010, after using the name since 1986, the Gulf Oil partnership acquired all right, title and interest in the Gulf brand name in the United States and announced plans to expand the use of the Gulf brand beyond eleven states from Ohio to Delaware and northeastward. Chevron USA had the rights to the Gulf name elsewhere but used Chevron or Texaco
in those areas. The first areas where Gulf would expand would be those Chevron and Texaco stations included in the 2009 announcement. Later, The Pantry
of Cary, North Carolina
would likely consider the Gulf name, according to Gulf Oil COO
Ron Sabia, though Pantry officials did not comment on such a possibility. On March 10, 2010, Gulf Oil announced an agreement with Somerset Petroleum to change nine stations to Gulf, five of them Chevron, giving Kentucky
its first Gulf stations since 1990. Gulf Oil formed a partnership with Milo Cockerham Inc. to return the Gulf name to Virginia
for the first time since 1986. Chevron stations in the southwestern part of the state will make the change in July 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
company formed when Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms is a regional chain of convenience stores based in Framingham, Massachusetts, and operating primarily in the eastern United States and Florida. Cumberland Farms operates roughly 600 retail stores, gas stations, and a support system including petroleum and grocery distribution...
acquired the naming rights to the Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
brand from Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
in the United States in 1986. By 2010, Cumberland acquired all rights to the brand in the US, making it the sole owner and marketer in the country. Once based in Chelsea
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
, then Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, Gulf Oil LP now shares its headquarters with Cumberland Farms in Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
.
History
In 1986, convenience store operator Cumberland FarmsCumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms is a regional chain of convenience stores based in Framingham, Massachusetts, and operating primarily in the eastern United States and Florida. Cumberland Farms operates roughly 600 retail stores, gas stations, and a support system including petroleum and grocery distribution...
purchased a license for North American rights to the Gulf brand from Chevron. Chevron still owned the Gulf brand, but made little use of it by 2006. Cumberland Farms then operated about 500 gas stations, 20 refined petroleum terminals; it was licensed to use Gulf trademarks and names in 11 states. In 1993, Cumberland Farms entered a joint venture with Catamount Petroleum LP, forming Gulf Oil Limited Partnership with Cumberland owning a two-thirds interest. Cumberland since acquired the company in full. Then, there were some independently-owned franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
s operating under the Gulf brand in North America, including American Refining Group, which is licensed by Chevron to blend and distribute Gulf-branded lubricants.
Gulf Oil has sponsored major sporting events in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
In June 2008, Gulf had 1800 stations in the northeastern US; Gulf Oil LP agreed to supply the approximately 600 Exxon stations in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New York in a deal with ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinational energy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States...
. The deal included Cumberland Farms buying 200 Exxon stations, but intended to keep the name. That month, The Boston Globe reported that Gulf Oil LP (which had purchased the delivery contracts for over 500 Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
stations in 2003 after the ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
merger required divestment
Divestment
In finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for either financial or ethical objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm...
) wanted to buy Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
-branded company-owned stations in the Northeast. ExxonMobil sold 820 owned-and-operated stations, plus about 1400 leased stations. Then, Gulf was the only large local brand in New England, where it had 2000 stations, supplying about 500 stations with other names, for a market share of 10 percent. The 2003 deal gave Gulf Oil exclusive rights to the Exxon name in New York and New England until February 2010, when "Exxon" would be dropped. However, in 2008 Gulf Oil decided to stop using the Exxon name in February 2009, asking independent stations to switch to Gulf. The Enterprise of Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
reported in April 2008 that Verc Enterprises would change 14 Exxon stations in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to Gulf, but not its five Mobils. Massachusetts Turnpike Authority announced in summer 2007 a switch of eleven former Exxon stations on the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
to Gulf, and in 2009 the same change was expected to 158 Cumberland Farms owned stations, the Globe said. Gulf supplied 300 other Exxons, of which 200 would likely change to Gulf.
In New England, former Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
stations have been rebranded as Gulf, in accordance with the consent decree that allowed the merger of Exxon and Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
. Gulf had been supplying gasoline to these stations since the merger, while the company paid a fee to continue to use the Exxon name. Many of the former Exxon stations feature a rectangular logo that fit into the existing sign standards used by Exxon. Gulf refers to the look as its "sunrise" imaging. Furthering public exposure, in 2009, the clothing store chain "Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
" began selling T-shirts bearing the old Gulf logo, along with the former logos of Standard Oil and Chevron.
In December 2009, Chevron USA announced it would no longer serve 1100 stations in 13 states. On January 12, 2010, after using the name since 1986, the Gulf Oil partnership acquired all right, title and interest in the Gulf brand name in the United States and announced plans to expand the use of the Gulf brand beyond eleven states from Ohio to Delaware and northeastward. Chevron USA had the rights to the Gulf name elsewhere but used Chevron or Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
in those areas. The first areas where Gulf would expand would be those Chevron and Texaco stations included in the 2009 announcement. Later, The Pantry
The Pantry
The Pantry, Inc. is a convenience store chain based in Cary, North Carolina. The Pantry was founded in 1967 by Sam Wornom and Truby Proctor, Jr. The company has been publicly traded since June 1999 and owned by investors since 1987 when then investor Montrose Capital purchased controlling shares...
of Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
would likely consider the Gulf name, according to Gulf Oil COO
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
Ron Sabia, though Pantry officials did not comment on such a possibility. On March 10, 2010, Gulf Oil announced an agreement with Somerset Petroleum to change nine stations to Gulf, five of them Chevron, giving Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
its first Gulf stations since 1990. Gulf Oil formed a partnership with Milo Cockerham Inc. to return the Gulf name to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for the first time since 1986. Chevron stations in the southwestern part of the state will make the change in July 2010.