Framingham, MA-based Gulf Oil LP and Lykins Energy Solutions, a petroleum marketer in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, have announced a new partnership that brings the Gulf brand back to the greater Cincinnati area for the first time in 20 years. A regional The Legend is back! advertising campaign will also begin in early March to help fuel motorist awareness and excitement.
The partnership with Gulf Oil gives Lykins Energy Solutions the exclusive rights to the Gulf brand in the greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky market, and also allows for growth throughout the country. Lykins plans to maximize this opportunity by immediately partnering with existing and new station owners in those areas, as well as Southern Indiana. This tri-state region has been Lykins home turf for more than 68 years.
"Lykins will be offering Gulf branding opportunities to area station owners starting immediately existing and new to industry opportunities are still available for qualified partners. We expect to have dozens of locations branded Gulf in the next few years, with a goal of over 100 for the Cincinnati market alone, said Greg Belisle, Lykins Energy Solutions VP of Sales and Procurement.
The relationship between the two companies can be traced back to 1953, when Lykins Energy Solutions, then known as Lykins Oil, operated one of the first Gulf stations in the Cincinnati market. Lykins President and CEO Jeff Lykins added, "The Gulf image is bold, bright and new, but still has the nostalgic tie to the 1950s when we first worked with the company. My family is truly proud to have them as a partner again the Legend is truly back.
No one is happier about the joint venture than Jr Lykins. Jr with his younger brother, Don, are the second generation of Lykins Oil and the sons of its founder Guy Lykins who started the company in 1948. Jr remembers the 1940s, 50s & 60s when you could find a Gulf gas station in every town. The Cincinnati market had over 40 Gulf gas stations back then, said Jr.
Jr says that a big part of the Lykins success is due to the Gulf brand, With Gulf, we had supply in the market others didnt have, and it gave us an amazing image with that iconic Orange disk. They were amazing people to work with back then, and they still are today. They helped us grow in many ways. With a big smile on his face, Jr added, I always hoped Gulf would come back to our area. Now it has, and Im so proud that Lykins is part of it.
Lykins Energy Solutions is a terrific partner for us as we continue our national expansion and move back into areas of Ohio and Northern Kentucky that havent seen the Gulf brand in over twenty years, said Gulf Oil Senior Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Rick Dery. We are very pleased to be providing their customers with quality products and services at competitive rates, and look forward to great success together.
Lykins Energy Solutions is a family owned and operated business headquartered in Milford, Ohio. The company was founded in 1948 by Guy Lykins, Sr., and is now in the third generation of management. The company serves customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, as well as throughout the Midwest and the Southeast United States and provides key services including: Branded Fuels, Wholesale Fuels, Commercial, Transportation and Home Heating Oil, Propane, Lubricants, Fleet fueling, Electricity and Natural gas for Ohio. The company represents five major brands: Gulf, BP, Marathon, ExxonMobil and Shell. The company is one of the 100 largest privately held companies in Ohio, and one of the top 10 largest Petroleum Marketers in Ohio as well as one of the oldest and largest Petroleum Companies in the region and the nation. Currently, Lykins employs 300 people.
Gulf Oil Limited Partnership is one of the Northeast's largest wholesalers of refined petroleum products. Gulf Oil distributes motor fuels and lubricants through a network of more than 2,500 branded gasoline retail centers, 12 proprietary oil terminals, and more than 130 other supply points. Gulf Oil Limited Partnership acquired the sole rights for the Gulf Oil brand throughout the U.S. on January 12, 2010.
