Croton Holding Co. Reveals Its Plans for Par Mar

PITTSBURGH — Croton Holding Co. plans to rebrand its existing retail facilities in western Pennsylvania under the Par Mar Stores brand following its acquisition of Par Mar Oil Co. This will bring Par Mar's image and standards to the Pittsburgh market, the company said.

The Pittsburgh-based retailer, wholesaler, distributor of petroleum products and convenience store operator announced the Par Mar purchase on April 8, as CSNews Online previously reported. The transaction expands Croton's retail operations to 70 c-stores/gas stations located in and around southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern Kentucky and West Virginia.

Croton also acquired Par Mar's 16 A&W, Fazoli's, Quiznos and Subway quick-service restaurants.

The acquisition of Par Mar builds upon the recent growth of Croton. In 2013, it acquired fuels distributor Superior Petroleum Co., which partnered with BP, CITGO, Sunoco and Valero to supply petroleum fuels in Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, Maryland and West Virginia. Since then, Croton has expanded its territory across Ohio and into Kentucky.

Croton also became the leading distributor for the Sunoco and Valero brands in northeast Ohio in February 2015 when it acquired North Royalton, Ohio-based Countrywide Petroleum Co. This purchase added Marathon and Clark to Croton's inventory of brands. Following this deal, Countrywide and Superior Petroleum merged and continued operations under the name Countrywide Petroleum Co.

Later in 2015, Croton acquired Ravenna Oil Co., which currently supplies liquid fuels, heating, ventilation and cooling services; engine and industrial oils and grease; and transportation services of petroleum products. It has since expanded Ravenna's transportation fleet by eight transports and trailers. Croton is also preparing for substantial capital improvements to the Ravenna headquarters in Ravenna, Ohio.