Ricker Oil Co. Inc., of Anderson, Ind., announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with BP to purchase all 32 of BP’s company-operated or company-supplied stores in the greater Indianapolis area.
The acquisition means that Ricker Oil, which was featured in the cover story in CSD’s May 2008 issue, is now one of the largest Indiana-based petroleum retailers and suppliers.
In addition to the 32 BP sites Ricker has acquired, the retailer also operates 29 stores and supplies another 35 dealer locations throughout Indiana. Ricker Oil said it’s planning to operate or supply the Indianapolis market sites by the end of October, with the majority of these stores remaining ampm-franchised. A BP and Marathon supplier, Ricker is looking to further expand the ampm franchise in the near future.
“We’re excited to be a significant retailer in the Indianapolis metropolitan area,” said company president Jay Ricker, “and look forward to serving our loyal customers. The current employees have contributed greatly to BP’s success and we look forward to their continued employment. I’d also like to thank our main lending institution, M&I Bank for helping finance this new venture.”
Jay Ricker and wife Nancy own and operate Ricker’s convenience stores in Indiana, as well as a petroleum distributorship and other enterprises. The chain is well recognized by Indiana customers, particularly for its popular “Ricker’s Pop” soda fountains.
