COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 5541

Gasoline Service Stations

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

12companies1920–1986founding years11still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedPetroFina S.A.
1920
FoundedCrown Central Petroleum Corporation
1923
FoundedTexaco Inc.
1926
FoundedGranada Group PLC
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedFINA, Inc.
1956
FoundedCumberland Farms, Inc.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedCasey's General Stores, Inc.
1967
FoundedFlying J Inc.
1968
FoundedRed Apple Group, Inc.
1970
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedTravel Ports of America, Inc.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedUni-Marts, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedE-Z Serve Corporation
1986
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1923 · United States
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products, including…
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
Granada Group PLC →
Active · founded 1934 · United Kingdom
Granada Group PLC is a leading U.K.
FINA, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
FINA, Inc.
Cumberland Farms, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Founded in 1938 as a one-cow dairy farm, Cumberland Farms, Inc.
Casey's General Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
Casey's General Stores, Inc.
Flying J Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Flying J Inc.
Red Apple Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Under the names Gristede's, Sloan's, and Red Apple, Red Apple Group, Inc., wholly owned by John A.
Travel Ports of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Travel Ports of America, Inc., operates around-the-clock, full-service travel plazas that provide customers with motor…
Uni-Marts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Uni-Marts, Inc., is the ninth-largest convenience store chain in the United States in sales and among the top 100 U.S.
E-Z Serve Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
As the seventh largest convenience store operator in the United States, E-Z Serve Corporation owns and operates 737…
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