Sault Ste. Marie-based McDougall Energy has acquired a southern Ontario fuel distributor and lubrication business that's well known on Manitoulin Island.
In a June 29 news release, McDougall said it has acquired Edward Fuels and its associated companies, including Manitoulin Fuels and the Petroline retail brand, in a deal that's been in the works for several months. The companies will function as a division of McDougall Energy.
Headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie, privately-held McDougall Energy is a third-generation family business that has been in business since 1949. The expansion-minded company, which has made similar acquisitions across Canada, now has an enlarged presence in southwestern Ontario.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to grow the McDougall Energy family business thanks to the support of a great team and a continued focus on providing quality products and services," said McDougall Energy president Darren McDougall in a statement.
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"We constantly strive to improve our business by listening to our customers and understanding their needs. The teams at Edward Fuels and Manitoulin Fuels are very dedicated to their communities, and we will honour their reputation and continue to foster the business as it grows."
For more than 70 years, Goderich-based Edward Fuels has been a mainstay in the fuel distribution business in that Lake Huron town, in Kincardine, Teeswater, Clinton, Hepworth and Manitoulin Island. Edward had grown to become one of the largest independently owned petroleum distributors in Ontario.
“As a family-owned business, our values and pledge to our customers are engrained in all that we do – this will not change,” said company president Don Edward in a release.
“I am excited about the future and what it means for our customers, team members, and our communities, with McDougall Energy leading the way. The McDougall family is one that we are proud to partner with, and they’ll honour the family values that our customers have come to know and trust.”
McDougall assures all that the transition for Edward Fuels and Manitoulin Fuels' employees and clients in southwestern Ontario and on the Island will be seamless with a minimal impact on business operations. The same staff that customers have worked with at Edward and Manitoulin Fuels will remain in place.