USPP-Tri Lakes Grows Through Michigan Acquisition
ALMA, Mich. — U.S. Petroleum Partners (USPP)-Tri Lakes LLC is expanding its network with the acquisitions of Barrick Enterprises Inc. and the associated B&R Trucking Inc., headquartered near Detroit.
Robert Barrick, founder of the family owned and operated company, which specializes in the sale and delivery of wholesale fuel products, expressed "mixed emotions" about the sale.
"My decision to sell has been a very difficult one but I believe that USPP is the right company; one who appreciates the relationships we've built over the years with our customers and employees and strives to strengthen those relationships long into the future," Barrick said in a statement to customers.
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Barrick founded Barrick Enterprises in 1977, when it consisted of two convenience stores with gas stations. The company grew to nine locations and in 1989, it integrated the sale of fuel at the wholesale level, which eventually became the backbone of the business. In 1989, Barrick Enterprises became a Total Petroleum (now Marathon) jobber, prompting Robert Barrick to start his own petroleum trucking company, B&R Trucking, which currently has a fleet of 14 units.
The company's wholesale business continued to expand, becoming a bp jobber in 1995 and purchasing a bankrupt competitor in 1996 to obtain the Unoven and CITGO jobberships. In 2005, Barrick purchase a package of sites in the Detroit market from bp, followed by a large Detroit-area jobber in 2006. The company's later moves included acquiring multiple bp dealers in 2009; becoming a Shell jobber in 2010; and most recently, acquiring the Clark jobbership, bringing a total of six different branding options to its customer base, according to Barrick's website.
USPP-Tri Lakes' acquisition of Barrick Enterprises and B&R Trucking takes effect Nov. 1.
Based in Alma, Mich., USPP-Tri Lakes started business in 1974 as a single tankwagon operation in central Michigan and has since expanded into a regional leader in refined fuel distribution, according to the company. It added branded motor fuel marketing to its product slate in the 1990s and now serves hundreds of branded outlets.
USPP's recent expansion efforts include acquisitions of Knight Enterprises in 2018, Tri-Lake Petroleum in 2020 and Oakland County Fuels earlier in 2023.
"With the addition of Barrick, USPP will be a premier motor fuel supplier throughout Michigan and Ohio representing all the major brands," Barrick said. "By no means is this a goodbye letter as I will continue to work with USPP in an advisory role."
Post-acquisition, Barrick Enterprises and B&R Trucking employees will remain with USPP-Tri Lakes.