Leathers Enterprises Exits the Convenience Channel
FAIRVIEW, Ore. — Shell-branded petroleum marketer and convenience retailer Leathers Enterprises Inc. is saying goodbye to the industry following the sale of its convenience retail, consignment retail and Shell-branded distribution assets.
Mukilteo, Wash.-based Sierra Enterprises Oregon Inc., an affiliate of S&S Petroleum Inc., acquired the assets for undisclosed terms in mid-October.
Fairview-based Leathers was initially founded as a single-dealer operation in Sandy, Ore., in the 1970s. Lila Leathers-Fitz entered the business with her husband and completed an outright purchase of the company in 1991. Under her leadership, Leathers continued expanding and modernizing until her children Brent and Kathy Leathers took ownership upon Leathers-Fitz's passing in 2022.
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The company currently has 24 c-stores throughout the state of Oregon, nine of which are company-operated and 15 of which are managed through dealer consignment agreements. Additionally, Leathers owns and operates six transports and trailers utilized for fuel distribution to its locations.
According to the company, Leathers prides itself on excellence in operations, including its transportation business, proprietary software systems through Snowbird, and strict repair and maintenance team, which works closely with its store operations and compliance with Oregon regulatory agencies. Leathers also distributes fuel through its CFN contract, operates a U-Haul franchise, and offers proprietary and locally licensed branded food service operations at its locations.
"With today's transaction, we honor the career of our mother, Lila Leathers, and all of her investments of time and treasure into this company. We believe S&S values the generational legacy of our company and will continue Leathers' long-standing tradition of excellent operations and serving our customers," stated Brent and Kathy Leathers. "We are also pleased to commend the Corner Capital team for their stewardship during this process. Their intimate expertise in operations, competitive sale structuring, and transaction management provided great comfort to our family and employees throughout the process."
Corner Capital provided valuation, strategic advisory, and merger-and-acquisition services to the Leathers family during the transaction.
S&S Petroleum offers quality fuel and c-store services in the Pacific Northwest, California and Idaho. Established in 1998, the company has expanded to more than 100 locations. Its portfolio features partnerships with industry leaders such as Marathon Petroleum, Mobil, 7-Eleven Inc., Arco/ampm and Shell.
"We are thrilled to welcome Leathers team into the S&S Petroleum family," said S&S President Rania Dahabreh. "This acquisition strengthens our commitment to building our presence in the Pacific Northwest while providing exceptional service and value to our customers and partners."