Acworth, Ga.-based Mountain Express Oil Co. (MEX) announced its acquisition of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.-based West Hill Ranch, a convenience store brand with six locations throughout Central Florida.
After the completion of a MEX management buyout in 2020, 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 CEO Chase Begor and CFO Spencer Kushner, seasoned entrepreneurs and investors with a track-record of building and scaling service-oriented businesses. Following the acquisition, Begor and Kushner will respectively serve as 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,” said Mountain Express Co-CEO Lamar Frady. “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 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 2021 through 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 Mountain Express Co-CEO Turjo Wadud.
Begor said that West Hill Ranch has always been about driving traffic and serving communities as a one-stop-shop destination. “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,” added Begor.
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.
