Offen Petroleum Strengthens Operations With Ozark Mountain Energy Tie-Up

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Independent fuel distributor Offen Petroleum is expanding its footprint with the acquisition of Mt. Vernon, Mo.-based Ozark Mountain Energy and its affiliate trucking company, Petroleum Express.

The companies will become a combined entity operating under the Ozark Mountain Energy name in the Mid-continent and Midwest states. Ozark will continue to operate from its Mt. Vernon office and Brent, Eric and Kyle Wilmoth will continue to lead the region under Offen Petroleum.

"This is yet another transformational addition to Offen and we are excited to welcome the Ozark Mountain Energy employees to the Offen team. I congratulate Brent on creating such a professional organization. We believe that the cultures at Offen and Ozark Mountain Energy are a perfect fit which will make this merger very successful," said Bill Gallagher, CEO of Offen Petroleum. "This transaction affords us the opportunity to strengthen our existing operations while expanding more deeply into new geographies and business lines.

"Additionally, I am pleased that we will be adding some great young talent by having Eric and Kyle Wilmoth join us. Eric will be joining Offen's executive leadership team as executive vice president of Ozark Operations and Kyle will be joining us as strategic account manager," he added. "We look forward to continuing to grow our business organically while finding best-in-class distributors who wish to join our mission to be the leading fuel, lubricant and propane provider in the United States."

Established in 1991 by the Wilmoth family, Ozark Mountain Energy concentrates its business operations in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, in addition to serving customers in a total of 13 states. It achieves approximately 700 million gallons of annual motor fuel and propane fuels.

"I am very pleased that Ozark Mountain Energy will continue its growth under a larger platform that will provide greater opportunities for our customers, employees and suppliers," said Brent Wilmoth, CEO of Ozark Mountain Energy. "Our businesses have organically grown in a similar fashion by always putting the customer's needs first. I am confident that joining with Offen is a great fit to enhance our company's growth. To further demonstrate my commitment to the future of our combined companies, I am purchasing a significant equity stake in Offen Petroleum."

Downstream Energy Partners LLC provided exclusive merger and acquisition advisory services to Ozark Mountain Energy.

"Offen Petroleum has acquired high quality wholesale fuel supply assets in a location strategic to their expanding footprint," said George Wedemeyer, managing partner of Downstream Energy Partners. "The Wilmoth's built an exceptional company and it's been a pleasure representing them in this transaction."

Based in Commerce City, Offen is a growing distributor of fuels, propane and lubricants. It is a portfolio company of Court Square Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. With the addition of Ozark Mountain Energy, the company is poised to distribute more than 2 billion gallons of motor fuel annually and will serve customers throughout the Intermountain West, Mid-continent and Midwestern states.