Mountain Express Oil Co. Acquires West Hill Ranch as Growth Platform
ACWORTH, Ga. — Mountain Express Oil Co. (MEX) acquired West Hill Ranch, a six-store convenience chain based in central Florida.
The company called the acquisition an exciting milestone following the completion of a management buyout in 2020 led by Mountain Express co-CEOs Lamar Frady and Turjo Wadud.
Vertically integrating MEX's scaled fuel distribution platform with West Hill Ranch will lead to a combined business that operates a diversified portfolio of fuel distribution, retail operations, real estate and services segments.
West Hill Ranch was launched in early 2020 by entrepreneurs and investors Chase Begor and Spencer Kushner, who sought to scale the brand by focusing on strong customer engagement and top quality products delivered in a clean and safe environment. Post-acquisition, Begor will serve as operating partner and Kushner will serve as retail co-president at MEX. They plan to focus on investment in the company'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," Frady said. "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."
Mountain Express will assume the operations of and rebrand all West Hill Ranch locations. The combined company plans to expand its retail operations platform to at least 100 locations by the end of 2021 through acquisitions throughout the United States.
"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," Wadud said.
Mountain Express has a long-term goal of redefining what consumers expect from the convenience store and fuel station experience with a shift toward dynamic destinations featuring food, beverages and other product offerings that complement the modern lifestyle and expectations of today's consumer, the company said.
"West Hill Ranch has always been about driving traffic and serving communities as a one-stop-shop destination," Begor said. "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."
Based in Acworth, Mountain Express Oil Co. currently owns or controls more than 200 gas stations and provides fuel to more than 600 stations across the U.S.